Assassin's Creed Shadows has exceeded expectations since its release, crossing the two-million-player milestone in just two days. Ubisoft confirmed this achievement over the weekend, highlighting the game's quick rise to success. Launched on March 20, 2025, the action-RPG, set in Japan, hit one million players on its launch day and then doubled that figure in just 48 hours. This rapid growth has made it one of the fastest-growing games in the Assassin's Creed franchise.
The two-million-player count includes all platforms where the game is available, such as PC (via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect), PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. Ubisoft also emphasized that Assassin's Creed Shadows is included in the Ubisoft+ subscription service, which may have contributed to its rapid player base growth. However, the company has yet to confirm specific sales numbers for the game, which remains a key metric for understanding its financial performance.
In addition to its impressive player count, Assassin's Creed Shadows has been performing well on Steam. According to SteamDB, the game peaked at 64,825 concurrent players on Valve’s platform, offering an early snapshot of its success on PC. Although PlayStation and Xbox do not publicly reveal player numbers, this figure provides insight into the game’s performance on at least one major platform.
Ubisoft's decision to release the game on multiple platforms simultaneously has clearly paid off, as Assassin's Creed Shadows has managed to reach the top of Steam’s Top Sellers chart, further solidifying its success. This marks a significant moment for Ubisoft, especially as the company has been struggling financially in recent years. In 2024, Ubisoft’s stock price fell by 40% after the underperformance of high-profile titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws.
The company has been grappling with disappointing sales from its AAA titles, and it’s clear that Assassin's Creed Shadows was expected to deliver a major boost to Ubisoft’s bottom line. Pre-order numbers for the game were reportedly aligned with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, one of the most successful entries in the franchise, which further raised expectations for its success.
The game’s success is especially crucial for Ubisoft, which has been exploring potential buyout offers from companies like Tencent. The Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founding family, has been in talks with investors, hoping to find a path to stability. Assassin's Creed Shadows has quickly become a key asset in these discussions, with the game’s performance potentially influencing the company’s future direction.
While the game had been delayed twice before its final March release, the launch seems to have been well worth the wait. Initially set for November 2024, the game’s release was pushed back to February 2025 before ultimately landing on March 20. Despite the delays, Assassin's Creed Shadows has quickly found its audience, and its early success suggests that it could continue to thrive in the coming weeks.
As Ubisoft looks to regain its financial stability, Assassin's Creed Shadows is shaping up to be one of the company's most important releases in years. The combination of a strong player base, good reception, and high pre-order numbers gives Ubisoft hope that the game could be a major driver of financial recovery.
The rapid success of Assassin's Creed Shadows offers a glimmer of hope for Ubisoft, showing that the company can still deliver hits in an increasingly competitive gaming market. The coming months will be crucial to see if the game can maintain its momentum and how it will impact Ubisoft’s long-term future.