Last week saw the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which quickly attracted over two million players across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms within its inaugural weekend. Ubisoft announced on Saturday that this latest installment has outperformed the openings of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey. While specific sales numbers have yet to be disclosed, independent reports indicate that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the second-largest launch in the series’ history, trailing only behind the 2020 blockbuster, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Achieves Second Biggest Launch Status
Industry sources suggest that the game has generated the second-highest revenue on its first day of sales for the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Reports from VGC and IGN cite internal communications from Ubisoft to provide this information. According to these sources, Shadows’ launch-day sales performance stands second only to Valhalla, the highest-selling title in the series to date.
It is important to recognize that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla debuted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by extensive lockdowns that kept entertainment-seeking consumers at home, leading to heightened gaming activity. This previous title’s sales were also bolstered by its availability on both current and previous generation consoles.
Ubisoft acknowledges the unique circumstances surrounding Valhalla’s success. Internal discussions reported by IGN suggest that the company plans to compare Shadows’ performance specifically with titles like AC Origins and Odyssey, given these games were released during more typical market conditions.
“Valhalla launched under extraordinary conditions — in the middle of a global pandemic, with widespread lockdowns and brand-new console hardware,” the internal communication stated. “It was a perfect storm we may never see again. That’s why it’s more meaningful to compare Shadows to entries like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage — games released in more typical cycles. And in that frame, Shadows is already setting a new bar.”
🔥 2 MILLION PLAYERS! 🔥
We’re thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone!
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan! #AssassinsCreedShadows pic.twitter.com/a6YezXNtYI
— Assassin’s Creed (@assassinscreed) March 22, 2025
Steam Launch Contributes to Success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Additionally, the sales data reported by both VGC and IGN reveals that Assassin’s Creed Shadows achieved a record-breaking day-one launch on the PlayStation Store. The title has also cultivated a significant player base on PC, particularly following its debut on Steam. According to Ubisoft, 27 percent of total game activations occurred on PC, indicating that Steam played a crucial role in its initial success.
Ubisoft has yet to disclose official sales figures for Shadows, although the company has highlighted strong player engagement in its communications. Recent announcements noted that the game surpassed the two million player mark over the weekend, with this figure including Ubisoft+ users who had access to the game without purchasing it.
According to SteamDB charts, Shadows has reached an all-time peak concurrent player count of 64,825, a number likely to grow in the coming days. More detailed sales insights for Assassin’s Creed Shadows are expected as Ubisoft prepares its upcoming quarterly financial results.
Following several disappointing launches with titles such as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft has placed substantial hopes on Shadows to turn its fortunes around. The company has experienced a notable decline in stock prices, plummeting 40 percent during 2024, prompting discussions among the founding Guillemot family regarding potential buyout negotiations with Tencent and other investors.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows became available on March 20, following two delays from its initial release date of November 15, 2024. Ubisoft stated that the additional development time was employed to enhance the game’s quality and integrate player feedback.
