Assassin's Creed Shadows: Preorders Strong, Ubisoft Confirms

Ubisoft confidently reports strong preorder numbers for the upcoming open-world adventure, Assassin's Creed Shadows, despite its challenging development and marketing journey. Their latest financial report reveals preorders are tracking comparably to Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the franchise's second most successful title.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reinforces this optimism, stating the company is fully focused on the game's March 20th launch. He highlights positive early previews praising the narrative, immersive experience, and the dual protagonist approach's contribution to gameplay quality. Guillemot commends the development team's dedication to delivering the franchise's most ambitious installment.

Assassin's Creed Shadows, initially slated for November, faced delays, first to February 14th, and then to its current March 20th release date. The game carries significant weight for Ubisoft, not only as the long-awaited Japan-set entry and the first full Assassin's Creed title since 2020, but also as a crucial release for a publisher facing recent setbacks and investor concerns.

The game's promotional period has been less than ideal. The development team issued apologies for inaccuracies in the game's depiction of Japan and for unauthorized use of a historical recreation group's flag. Further controversy arose when PureArts removed an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its "insensitive" design. These incidents, coupled with the delays, have understandably fueled fan impatience.