"Assassin’s Creed Shadows Reaches 3 Million Players, Ubisoft Silent on Sales"

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has attracted over 3 million players since its launch, marking a significant milestone just seven days after its debut on May 20. This impressive figure is a substantial increase from the 2 million players reported on the second day of its release, surpassing the launch performances of both Origins and Odyssey.

In addition to the player count, Ubisoft shared other statistics that were initially disclosed through an internal email, as covered by IGN. The company contextualized Shadows' opening weekend performance, noting that it fares better when compared to Origins and Odyssey, rather than the exceptional launch of Valhalla in 2020.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows achieved the second highest day one sales revenue in the franchise's history, trailing only behind Valhalla. It also marked the biggest Ubisoft day one ever on the PlayStation Store, with over 40 million hours played so far.

The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following a series of delays and the commercial disappointment of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced numerous challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Shadows.

The situation at Ubisoft became so dire that the founding Guillemot family reportedly considered talks with Chinese mega-corporation Tencent and other investors about a buyout deal that would allow them to retain control of the company's intellectual property. As a result, the gaming industry is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows for indications of its success or failure.

Additionally, Shadows' performance on Steam is under scrutiny, with its concurrent player numbers being compared to other recent triple-A single-player games and previous Assassin’s Creed titles on Valve’s platform. Over the weekend, Shadows became the most-played Assassin's Creed game ever on Steam, reaching a peak of 64,825 concurrent players. It's worth noting, however, that Shadows was the first game in the series to launch day-one on Steam since Odyssey in 2018. In comparison, BioWare’s single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard achieved a peak of 89,418 players on the platform.

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Determining whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows is meeting, exceeding, or falling short of Ubisoft’s expectations is challenging without specific data on those expectations, revenue, or sales figures. Ultimately, the financial performance of Shadows will play a crucial role not only in the game's success but also in shaping the future of Ubisoft. A clearer picture of its financial impact may emerge with Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.

For those eager to explore feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, be sure to check out our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows 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.