Ubisoft announced that its latest game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has reached over 1 million players in the first four hours of launch day. The game was released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 20. Ubisoft claimed this milestone just before 4 pm Canadian time.
While it’s impressive for a game to reach such a high player count in so little time, it’s unclear whether this achievement will translate to long-term success. Ubisoft hasn’t released sales figures or target numbers, leaving investors and analysts with limited data.
However, on Steam alone, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently the top-selling video game globally, generating more revenue than any other title on the platform. According to Valve’s charts, which sort products by revenue, the game’s peak concurrent figure of 41,412 players on launch day is expected to grow as it enters its first weekend on sale.
Comparing this to BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released earlier on Steam in October 2024, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has already surpassed its peak player count. However, the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be heavily scrutinized by Ubisoft, which has faced criticism and financial struggles in recent years.
In Japan, the game faced controversy before its launch, with some politicians expressing concerns over in-game temples and shrines. Despite this, players seem to be enjoying the game, with an 82% positive user review rating on Steam and IGN’s review scoring it 8/10.
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-crosses-1-million-players-on-launch-day-ubisoft-says