Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed Shadows Preorders 'Solid,' Match Odyssey

Ubisoft has confidently stated that its upcoming open-world adventure, Assassin's Creed Shadows, is seeing robust preorder numbers despite a challenging development and promotional phase. In their recent financial report, the company highlighted that "preorders for the game are tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the second most successful entry of the franchise."

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expressed his optimism, emphasizing the company's dedication to the game's launch scheduled for March 20. He noted, "Early previews have been positive, praising its narrative and immersive experience, with both characters playing critical roles in the game’s storyline, as well as the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach."

Guillemot also praised the development team, saying, "I want to commend the incredible talent and dedication of the entire Assassin’s Creed team, who is working tirelessly to ensure that Shadows delivers on the promise of what is the franchise’s most ambitious entry yet."

Assassin's Creed Shadows faced multiple delays, initially planned for a November release, then shifted to February 14, and finally rescheduled to the current date of March 20. The game holds significant importance not only as the long-awaited Japan-set entry and the first full Assassin's Creed game since 2020 but also as a critical release for Ubisoft, which is looking to rebound from recent commercial disappointments and address investor concerns.

Despite these high stakes, the promotional period for Assassin's Creed Shadows has faced its share of challenges. The development team issued apologies for inaccuracies in the game's depiction of Japan and for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission. Additionally, controversy arose when collectible figure maker PureArts pulled an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its "insensitive" design. These issues, coupled with the multiple delays, have led to growing impatience among fans.