Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is a success, but not enough to save Ubisoft

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Over the past weekend marked the debut of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, a game long-awaited and twice delayed. Despite initial skepticism due to Ubisoft’s current situation, the launch attracted a significant audience not just for fan fervor, but also curiosity about the company. Critics and content creators were eager to predict the downfall of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, but it appears they underestimated its potential.

The game has been met with widespread acclaim, scoring an 81 out of 100 on OpenCritic and boasting a 81% positive rating from players on Steam. Moreover, according to Ubisoft’s recent announcement, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has already amassed over two million players within its first weekend.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is a success, but it’s probably not enough to save Ubisoft

Six months ago, there was a surprising rumor that Tencent might buy Ubisoft and make it a private company. Although this hasn’t occurred yet, it highlights the vulnerable state Ubisoft found itself in just a short while back. Tencent currently owns nearly 10% of Ubisoft, and chances are they will expand their ownership. However, thanks to the success of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Ubisoft is now in a stronger position than before. Had this game not been successful as some anticipated, it could have potentially been the downfall for the long-standing video game publisher.

Celebrating the success of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is certainly appropriate, but even if it had shattered records, it probably wouldn’t have been enough to entirely rescue Ubisoft from its current predicament. Last year’s Star Wars: Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora failed to meet the expected level of success for such typically profitable intellectual properties. Just a couple of weeks ago, Ubisoft closed down one of their studios and let go 185 employees as part of restructuring efforts. The ship at Ubisoft was already in trouble, and while AC: Shadows may help for a brief period, these numbers are not substantial enough to save the company.

As a gamer, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! According to VideoGamesChronicle, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has achieved an impressive feat. It raked in the second highest Day 1 sales revenue in the entire franchise, trailing just behind Valhalla. This is quite remarkable, considering that Valhalla saw a surge in sales due to the pandemic, and most other Assassin’s Creed games are typically launched during Fall, traditionally a more profitable season for video game sales. It’s clear that this game has made a significant impact!

While achieving global success might seem desirable, it isn’t always a guarantee of stability. For instance, consider Warner Bros. Games, which saw massive success with Hogwarts Legacy in 2023, surpassing games like Call of Duty and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. However, this didn’t prevent them from cancelling projects or shutting down studios, as evidenced by their closure of Monolith and Wonder Woman. In a report by VGC, Warner Bros.’ CEO, David Zaslav, identified the gaming division as its most vulnerable area.

It turns out that the remarkable sales of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows didn’t guarantee WB Games a secure financial standing. In fact, it might not stop Tencent from potentially acquiring Ubisoft. This success certainly boosts Ubisoft’s position, but it could also mean that Tencent would have to pay more for the company’s shares. We’ll need to observe the situation closely in the coming months to see how things unfold.

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2025-03-25 02:02