Assassin’s Creed Shadows could be GOTY after historic 1M player launch

Ubisoft needed a hit, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivered. Within 15 hours of launch, the game pulled in over 1 million players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. After years of delayed releases, financial struggles, and Star Wars Outlaws bombing at launch, Ubisoft finally has a title that’s making headlines for the right reasons. It won’t come as a surprise if the game receives the GOTY title!
The official Assassin’s Creed account celebrated the milestone on X:
"It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players! 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!"
Ubisoft didn’t reveal sales numbers, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently the top-grossing game on Steam, outperforming major releases like Monster Hunter Wilds. It also hit a peak of 41,412 concurrent players on launch day, according to SteamDB.


Ubisoft needed Shadows to perform well. The company has been struggling, with high-profile flops, layoffs, and studio closures leading up to this release. Reports even suggested that Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family was exploring a buyout deal with Tencent to maintain control.
Now, Shadows is their biggest launch in years. On its merry way to become the game of the year! On Steam, it surpassed Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (15,679 peak players) and Assassin’s Creed Mirage (7,870). The game is also topping sales charts worldwide, proving that there’s still an audience for the franchise.
The game itself offers a fresh take with two protagonists—Naoe, a stealth-focused shinobi assassin, and Yasuke, a powerhouse samurai. The open-world design includes reactive environments, seasonal changes, and locations like castle towns, ports, and shrines. It’s a step forward for the franchise.
Critics seem to agree. Assassin’s Creed Shadows holds an 81 on Metacritic, higher than Mirage (76) but slightly below Valhalla (83). IGN gave it an 8/10, saying:
"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."
Not everyone is happy. In Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows faced backlash over its depiction of temples and shrines. The controversy escalated to the point where Hiroyuki Kada, a member of Japan’s House of Councillors, brought it up in an official government meeting. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba even responded.
Ubisoft quickly released a day-one patch, making adjustments to address concerns. The details of these changes weren’t publicly outlined, but the situation shows how closely Shadows is being watched.
Despite the backlash, the game has been well-received by players. On Steam, 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews are positive. The community seems more focused on the gameplay than the political noise.

Ubisoft finally has momentum, but can Assassin’s Creed Shadows keep the hype alive?

ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [4K 60FPS PC ULTRA] - No Commentary

This is a win for Ubisoft, but they’ve been here before. Strong day-one numbers mean nothing if player engagement drops off. Weekend sales and retention rates will tell the real story.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise still holds weight, but Ubisoft needs to prove it can deliver consistent quality. If Shadows keeps its momentum, it could be the turning point the company desperately needs. If not, it’ll just be another brief spike in a long decline. Possible GOTY? Well, for now, we can just hope.

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