Ubisoft Urges Comparison of Assassin's Creed Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, Mirage, Not Valhalla

The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows is under intense scrutiny following Ubisoft's recent challenges, including delays and the disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced a series of setbacks, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Shadows. The pressure is palpable, especially as the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders, are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to maintain control over the company's intellectual property.

The gaming community is keenly observing Assassin's Creed Shadows' initial performance for indicators of its success or failure. While Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they announced that Shadows reached 2 million players within just two days of its launch, surpassing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey.

Attention is also focused on Shadows' concurrent player numbers on Steam, which are being benchmarked against other recent triple-A single-player titles and previous Assassin's Creed games. Over the weekend, Shadows achieved the highest peak concurrent players for any Assassin's Creed game on Steam, with 64,825 players, though it's notable that this was the first game in the series to launch directly on the platform. In comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on Steam.

Determining whether Shadows meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing the specific targets. However, insights from an internal Ubisoft email, reviewed by IGN, shed light on the game's performance over its first weekend. Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only behind Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of launching during the global pandemic and across multiple console generations.

Shadows also set a record for Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5. On the PC front, 27% of Shadows' total activations were on PC, with Steam playing a significant role in its success on this platform, according to Ubisoft's internal communications.

Ubisoft is emphasizing high player engagement, which is at "record levels," and positive feedback from moderated, verified platforms, which are less susceptible to review bombing. Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming all other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Ubisoft's internal communications contextualize the comparisons between Shadows' launch and other franchise entries. While Shadows did not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that such comparisons are unfair due to Valhalla's unique launch conditions during the global pandemic and the introduction of new console hardware. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to games like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical circumstances. In this context, Shadows is setting new benchmarks.

Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional pre-Thanksgiving launch window that typically boosts sales. Ubisoft also opted not to offer an early access period, which they usually charge for, and their subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, complicating sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be crucial not only for the game but for Ubisoft's future. A clearer picture of its financial impact will likely emerge with Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.

For those exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows set in feudal Japan, check out our comprehensive guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the crucial things Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.

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