Record-Breaking Launch for Latest Assassin's Creed Title
Ubisoft has announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows attracted over 1 million players within its first day of release across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms on March 20. The publisher confirmed this milestone achievement through social media shortly before 4 PM Eastern Time from their Canadian headquarters.
Strong Steam Performance Signals Commercial Promise
While Ubisoft hasn't disclosed specific sales figures, industry tracking shows Shadows currently leads Steam's global revenue charts. The title peaked at 41,412 concurrent players on Valve's platform during its Thursday launch - expected to grow significantly over the launch weekend.
For comparison, BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched with 70,414 peak Steam players last October. Early reception appears positive with an 82% 'Very Positive' rating from nearly 4,000 user reviews.
High Stakes Release for Ubisoft
This successful debut comes at a crucial time for Ubisoft, following:
- The commercial underperformance of Star Wars Outlaws
- Recent studio restructurings and project cancellations
- Controversies surrounding cultural depictions in Shadows
The game has already addressed some concerns through a day-one patch modifying temple and shrine depictions that drew attention from Japanese government officials, including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Critical Acclaim and Future Prospects
IGN's 8/10 review praised Shadows as "one of the best versions of the open-world style" the franchise has developed. As Ubisoft's founding family reportedly discusses potential investment deals, including with Tencent, this strong launch performance could prove strategically important for the company's future direction.
