"Assassin's Creed Shadows Surpasses 2 Million Players in Just Two Days, Outperforming Origins and Odyssey Launches, Ubisoft Announces"

Ubisoft has celebrated another milestone for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, revealing that the game has attracted 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This impressive figure marks a significant increase from the 1 million players reported on the game's first day. Ubisoft highlighted that this achievement surpasses the launch numbers of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, stating, “Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!”

While Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game has quickly become the top-selling title on Steam. This is noteworthy, as Ubisoft recently returned to Steam after a period of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store for PC launches. At the time of this article's publication, Assassin’s Creed Shadows boasted 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, securing a spot in the top 30 most-played games on Valve's platform. Analysts expect this peak to rise further over the game's opening weekend.

For context, Assassin’s Creed Origins reached an all-time Steam peak of 41,551 players over seven years ago, while Odyssey peaked at 62,069. Given these numbers, it seems likely that Shadows will soon claim the title of the most-played game on Steam. Meanwhile, BioWare’s single-player RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, achieved a peak of 89,418 players. It's important to note that the true concurrent peak for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be significantly higher, considering its launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, platforms for which player data is not publicly disclosed by Sony or Microsoft.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows faces significant pressure to perform well globally for Ubisoft, especially following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced numerous challenges recently, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows. The situation became so dire that the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders and largest shareholders, are reportedly considering talks with Tencent and other investors about a buyout that would allow them to retain control.

The game has also encountered its own set of controversies, particularly in Japan. This week, IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, addressing concerns from some Japanese politicians regarding in-game temples and shrines. In a notable development, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada raised the issue in an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

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On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows has received a 'very positive' user review rating, with 81% of over 6,000 reviews being positive. IGN’s review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows awarded it an 8/10, praising the game for refining its open-world mechanics and delivering one of the best experiences in the series to date. The review stated, “By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade.”

For those eager to explore feudal Japan, IGN offers a comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and essential tips on elements the game doesn't explicitly explain.