Ubisoft reveals why AC Shadows didn’t beat Valhalla & it’s not what you think

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Despite not surpassing the opening-day sales record set by Valhalla, an insider from Ubisoft asserts that the performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is unrelated to any recent controversies.

Through an internal communication at IGN, Ubisoft explained why Assassin’s Creed Shadows didn’t quite achieve the same level of success as Valhalla. The memo pointed out that Valhalla benefited from a unique combination of factors – a “powerful confluence” – which catapulted it to the number one position.

Valhalla debuted amidst unprecedented circumstances – right in the heart of a worldwide crisis, where lockdowns were commonplace and fresh gaming consoles had just hit the market,” Ubisoft stated. “This was an unparalleled confluence of events that might never recur again.

According to a statement made in November 2020, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has broken records as the largest sale in the series so far, although the developers have not provided specific sales numbers.

AC Shadows fails to beat Valhalla

The internal communications suggested a more balanced comparison when matching Shadows against other games within the same series, implying:

– It’s only right to compare Shadows with other franchise games.
– A fair assessment is to measure Shadows against other games in the franchise.
– The comparison between Shadows and other franchise games should be even.
– Comparing Shadows and other franchise games on a level playing field would be reasonable.

Instead of measuring Shadows against unconventional releases such as Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, it’s more appropriate to compare it with games typically released in cycles. In this context, Shadows has already raised the benchmark for what we expect from such titles.

It’s still unclear what the specific sales numbers are for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, but what we do know is that it holds the record as the largest Steam launch within the franchise, attracting a maximum concurrent player count of 64,825 gamers.

🎉 Over 2 Million Players Join the Adventure in Assassin’s Creed Shadows! 🎉

We’re ecstatic to mark this remarkable achievement!

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has now outperformed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. We’re grateful for your participation in our journey through Feudal Japan! #AssassinsCreedShadows

— Assassin’s Creed (@assassinscreed) March 22, 2025

The open-world game surpassed two million players on March 22, exceeding the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. Notably, it’s mentioned that 27% of its total activations occurred on PC, with Ubisoft acknowledging that Steam significantly contributed to Shadows’ success.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that AC Shadows is included in Ubisoft+’s offerings – Ubisoft’s monthly subscription service. Given that this service is accessible on both PC and Xbox platforms, it could have substantially boosted the game’s initial sales figures.

Although Shadow didn’t outshine Valhalla in battle, its developers are eager to express gratitude towards players for their backing. Despite the stir surrounding Yasuke and the concerns about shrine defacement, Shadow managed to secure the second-best first-day sales ever recorded in the series.

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2025-03-26 15:18