Ubisoft's Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 1M Players at Launch

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows surpassed 1 million players on its debut day. The action RPG launched globally on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with Ubisoft revealing this milestone before 4pm Canadian time.

Record-Breaking Debut for Feudal Japan Adventure

"Before 4pm Canadian time, we've already welcomed over 1 million players to Assassin's Creed Shadows!" Ubisoft shared enthusiastically across social media. "Our deepest gratitude to everyone embarking on this journey through Feudal Japan with us."

Strong Performance Despite Challenges

The launch success comes at a crucial time for Ubisoft, following several corporate setbacks including disappointing sales for 2024's Star Wars Outlaws, restructuring measures, and project cancellations. The franchise maintains its strong position with Shadows currently ranking as Steam's top-selling title by revenue.

Early Steam statistics show 41,412 concurrent players at launch, with expectations for growth over the weekend period. While this trails behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard's 70,414 Steam peak from last October, review sentiment remains strong with an 82% "Very Positive" rating across nearly 4,000 user reviews.

Controversies and Adjustments

The release hasn't been without controversy, particularly in Japan where certain cultural representations prompted a day-one patch. The matter even reached Japanese political discussions, with Cabinet member Hiroyuki Kada raising concerns that received an official response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Critical reception has been largely favorable, including IGN's 8/10 review praising the game's refined open-world formula. Meanwhile, Ubisoft's controlling shareholders continue exploring strategic options with potential partners like Tencent to maintain corporate direction.