"Assassin's Creed Shadows Surpasses 2 Million Players in Two Days, Outshines Origins and Odyssey Launches"

Ubisoft has celebrated another player milestone for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, revealing that the game has attracted 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This number is up from the 1 million players recorded on its first day, surpassing the launch figures of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey. Ubisoft expressed gratitude to fans, stating, "Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!"

While Ubisoft has yet to disclose specific sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game is currently the top-selling title on Steam. Ubisoft's recent return to Steam after years of PC exclusivity on the Epic Games Store has contributed to this success. At the time of this article's publication, Assassin’s Creed Shadows had reached a peak of 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, placing it within the top 30 most-played games on Valve’s platform. This peak is expected to increase as the game's opening weekend progresses.

For context, Assassin’s Creed Origins achieved an all-time Steam peak of 41,551 players over seven years ago, while Odyssey reached 62,069. Given these numbers, it seems likely that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will soon become the most-played Assassin’s Creed game on Steam.

It's important to note that the total concurrent peak for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be significantly higher, as the game also launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Unfortunately, neither Sony nor Microsoft publicly shares player numbers.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following multiple delays and the commercial disappointment of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. The company has faced several challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. The pressure on Assassin’s Creed Shadows to perform well globally is immense, especially amidst reports that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are exploring buyout talks with investors like Tencent to maintain control.

The game has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. This week, IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, making significant changes in response to concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding the depiction of temples and shrines. In a notable exchange, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up the issue during an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

On Steam, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been well-received, earning a 'very positive' user review rating with 81% of over 6,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review awarded the game an 8/10, praising it for refining its existing systems to create one of the best iterations of its open-world style in the last decade.

For those eager to explore feudal Japan, IGN offers a comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including a walkthrough, an interactive map, and insights into crucial aspects the game doesn’t explicitly mention.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

25 Images

Every Assassin's Creed Game Tier List

For a detailed comparison of all Assassin's Creed games, check out our tier list to see how Assassin's Creed Shadows stacks up against its predecessors.