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Assassin’s Creed Shadows welcomed over 1 million players on its launch day, Ubisoft has officially confirmed.
The game launched globally for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 20, 2025. By just before 4 PM local time in Canada, Ubisoft shared the milestone via social media, celebrating the enthusiastic player response.
“It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players!” the developer posted.
“Thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts for joining this adventure in Feudal Japan. We are beyond excited to start this journey with you!”
While reaching 1 million players within a single day is undeniably impressive, it’s challenging to measure the game’s full commercial success without an official sales figure or target released by Ubisoft.
What is known is that Assassin’s Creed Shadows currently holds the title of the top-selling video game on Steam. Valve’s revenue-based ranking confirms that the game is generating more income than any other title on the platform at the moment.
Additionally, early Steam player statistics offer insight into its performance. According to official data from Valve, the game peaked at 41,412 concurrent players on launch day. Given that the release occurred on a Thursday, it’s expected that these numbers will rise as players join during the weekend. A clearer view of long-term performance will emerge in the coming weeks. It's worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft publicly shares live player counts for their platforms.
For context, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, another major single-player RPG, launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, and reached a peak of 70,414 concurrent players.
The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline
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The success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows carries significant weight for Ubisoft following multiple delays and the underwhelming performance of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. In the lead-up to this release, the company faced several setbacks, including high-profile project cancellations, studio closures, and workforce reductions.
The game also encountered controversy, particularly in Japan. IGN recently reported that Ubisoft quietly issued a day-one patch modifying certain in-game elements—specifically temples and shrines—apparently in response to concerns raised by Japanese officials.
In a rare public exchange earlier this week, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up Assassin’s Creed Shadows during an official parliamentary session. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba acknowledged the issue, highlighting how cultural sensitivity continues to play a role in global entertainment releases.
Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List
Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List
On Steam, player reception has been largely favorable. The game maintains a “very positive” user review rating, with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN’s review awarded Assassin’s Creed Shadows an 8/10, praising it for refining and enhancing the franchise’s decade-long open-world formula: “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.”
Meanwhile, Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family, which remains the largest shareholder, has reportedly entered discussions with Tencent and other potential investors regarding a strategic buyout. The goal, according to sources, is to secure financial backing that would allow the family to retain creative and operational control over the company moving forward.
