The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows is under intense scrutiny following Ubisoft's recent challenges, including delays and the commercial disappointment of Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced a series of setbacks, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Shadows. Amidst these struggles, the Guillemot family, founders of Ubisoft, are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to maintain control over the company's intellectual property.

Given this backdrop, the gaming community is keenly observing the early performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows. While Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they announced that the game reached 2 million players within just two days of its launch, surpassing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey.

Attention is also focused on Shadows' concurrent player numbers on Steam, which are being benchmarked against other recent triple-A single-player titles and previous entries in the Assassin's Creed series. Over the weekend, Shadows achieved the highest peak concurrent player count for any Assassin's Creed game on Steam, reaching 64,825 players. This is notable as it was the first in the series to launch directly on Steam. For comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on the same platform.

Determining whether Shadows meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing the company's internal benchmarks. However, insights from an internal Ubisoft email, reviewed by IGN, shed light on the game's initial weekend performance. Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only behind Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of launching during the global pandemic and across multiple console generations.

Shadows also set a record for Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5. On the PC front, 27% of the game's total activations were on this platform, with Steam playing a significant role in its success. Ubisoft has highlighted that the decision to return to Steam was validated by these early results.

Ubisoft is emphasizing high player engagement, which is at "record levels," and positive feedback from moderated, verified platforms. Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming all other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Internal communications from Ubisoft contextualize the comparisons between Shadows and other franchise entries. While Shadows did not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that such comparisons are unfair due to Valhalla's unique launch conditions during the global pandemic and the introduction of new console hardware. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to games like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical market conditions. In this context, Shadows is setting new benchmarks.

It's also important to note that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional Assassin's Creed launch timing just before the U.S. Thanksgiving period, which typically boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft did not offer an early access period for Shadows, and their subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, complicating sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be crucial not only for the game itself but for Ubisoft's future. A clearer picture of its financial impact will likely emerge with Ubisoft's next financial report.

For those exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows set in feudal Japan, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the crucial things Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.

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