There was much anticipation surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows, positioning it as a potential bestseller in the series due to its intense marketing, intriguing dual protagonists, and its long-awaited setting in feudal Japan. Ubisoft’s announcement of two million players diving into its world suggests that these expectations were not misplaced. Despite promising sales and impressive engagement numbers being reported, a leading analyst voices concerns, suggesting that Shadows might not be the triumphant success Ubisoft urgently needs.
Moving back to a larger open-world RPG style after the more compact Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Shadows revisits the sprawling universe Ubisoft is known for. While not as vast as Valhalla, it remains a sizeable game. The allure of choosing between the stealthy assassin Naoe and the formidable warrior Yasuke, combined with the captivating Japanese backdrop, is helping the game achieve commendable sales.
Just recently, Ubisoft shared the exciting news that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has already attracted two million players. According to a report from VGC, Shadows has enjoyed the series’ second most lucrative launch, only outdone by Valhalla back in 2020. Thanks to its availability on Steam from day one, it has also secured the title as the most popular game in the series on Valve’s platform.
For Ubisoft, coming off a series of less successful projects like Star Wars Outlaws and the free-to-play shooter XDefiant, Shadows represents a much-needed win. Nonetheless, a prominent video game analyst warns that these positive numbers may not be the home run the company needs to change its fortunes entirely.
Rhys Elliott from MIDiA Research suggests, “The figures do NOT signify the massive hit Ubisoft desperately needs” and speculates that “given the scale and development time of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it’s unlikely the game has reached its break-even point yet.”
Launching on Steam right away has certainly helped, though Elliott compares Shadows’ performance on this platform to Ghost of Tsushima’s port, which shares a similar thematic setting. Despite being a re-release of a game four years its senior, Ghost of Tsushima apparently doubled Shadows’ sales during its Steam launch, as indicated by Alinea Analytics.
Moreover, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Steam performance lags behind some of the true blockbuster games of 2025. Just three days post-launch, Shadows reportedly sold 310,000 copies. By comparison, Split Fiction shifted 882,500 units on Steam during the same period, and the colossal Monster Hunter Wilds outpaced Shadows dramatically, moving 3.7 million units, based on Alinea’s data.
Despite being a historically successful launch for the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows may not be the turnaround Ubisoft was hoping for. Its sales haven’t surpassed Valhalla’s, which raises some eyebrows and concerns. Shadows was delayed out of the series’ usual pre-holiday release window, a potential factor in this. Still, with its eagerly awaited setting and fresh features built on the foundation of Valhalla and its forebears Odyssey and Origins, seeing it trailing behind Eivor’s saga in England is disappointing.
If you’re currently journeying through Japan with Naoe and Yasuke, we have a treasure trove of guides to help you along the way. For instance, you can discover all the locations of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows legendary gear or learn how to recruit all the allies in the game.
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