Ubisoft Compares AC Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, Mirage

Assassin's Creed Shadows faces immense pressure to succeed globally for Ubisoft, following multiple delays and the commercial disappointment of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has endured a string of high-profile failures, layoffs, studio shutdowns, and canceled projects leading up to Shadows' release.

The situation at Ubisoft has grown so dire that its founding Guillemot family is reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout deal to retain control of its intellectual property.

The gaming industry is closely monitoring Assassin's Creed Shadows' early performance as an indicator of its trajectory. While Ubisoft hasn't released sales figures yet, it confirmed Shadows reached 2 million players within two days—surpassing both Origins and Odyssey's launch numbers.

Attention has particularly focused on Shadows' Steam concurrent player counts, now being compared to recent AAA single-player releases and previous Assassin's Creed titles on Valve's platform.

The game set a franchise record on Steam with 64,825 peak concurrent players over its launch weekend—though it's worth noting this marks the series' first day-one Steam release. Comparatively, BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on the platform.

Assessing whether Shadows is underperforming or exceeding expectations remains difficult without Ubisoft's internal targets. However, leaked internal communications reviewed by IGN provide insight into the game's launch performance.

Key findings include: Shadows delivered the franchise's second-highest day-one revenue after 2020's Valhalla—which benefited from pandemic-era home confinement and cross-generation console launches. It also became Ubisoft's strongest PlayStation Store debut ever, suggesting particular success on PS5.

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On PC—where Shadows launched simultaneously on Steam and Ubisoft's store—internal data shows 27% of total activations occurred on PC. Steam reportedly played "a major role" in this performance, with Ubisoft calling the results "strong validation" of returning to the platform.

Ubisoft emphasizes record-breaking engagement levels and positive feedback across moderated platforms (less susceptible to review bombing). Shadows was also the company's most wishlisted game ever and outperforms all previous Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch—Valhalla included.

Internal communications contextualize comparisons with Valhalla's launch, noting its "perfect storm" advantage of pandemic-driven gaming surges and next-gen console releases in 2020. Ubisoft suggests fairer comparisons lie with Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage—in which context Shadows is "setting a new bar."

Valhalla launched under extraordinary conditions—amid global lockdowns with new console hardware," the document states. "This unique scenario makes comparing Shadow's performance to games released in typical cycles more meaningful, where it's already establishing new benchmarks."

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Ubisoft notes Shadows' unconventional March release—diverging from the franchise's typical Thanksgiving-adjacent schedule that traditionally boosts sales. The company also skipped its usual paid early access period. Additionally, Ubisoft's subscription service now being available directly on Xbox complicates sales comparisons for Microsoft's platform.

Ultimately, Assassin's Creed Shadows' financial success—beyond player metrics—will determine not just the game's future, but Ubisoft's direction. Clear indicators may only emerge with the company's next quarterly financial report.

Exploring feudal Japan? Check out our complete Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including walkthroughs, an interactive map, and essential tips the game doesn't reveal.