Assassin's Creed Shadows Hits 2 Million Players 2 Days After Release, Ubisoft Says It’s Now Surpassed Origins and Odyssey Launches

Ubisoft has celebrated another milestone for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, announcing that the game has reached 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This impressive figure marks a significant increase from the 1 million players it achieved on its first day. Ubisoft highlighted that this surpasses the launch numbers of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, expressing gratitude to fans with the message, "Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!"

Despite this success, Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, the game has become the top-selling title on Steam, where Ubisoft recently made a return after years of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store. At the time of writing, Assassin’s Creed Shadows had 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, placing it within the top 30 most-played games on the platform. This peak is anticipated to rise further over the opening weekend.

For context, Assassin’s Creed Origins reached a peak of 41,551 concurrent players on Steam, while Odyssey hit 62,069. Given these numbers, it seems likely that Shadows will soon claim the title of the most-played Assassin’s Creed game on Steam.

It's important to note that the total concurrent player peak for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be significantly higher, considering its availability on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S as well. Unfortunately, neither Sony nor Microsoft release player count data publicly.

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The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. The company has faced numerous challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. The situation has become so dire that the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders and largest shareholders, are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to maintain control.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows itself has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. This week, IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch addressing concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding the depiction of temples and shrines in the game. In a notable exchange, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up the issue in an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

On Steam, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has received a 'very positive' user review rating, with 81% of over 6,000 reviews being positive. IGN’s review awarded the game an 8/10, praising it for refining its open-world mechanics and delivering one of the best experiences in the series to date.

For those eager to explore feudal Japan, be sure to check out our comprehensive Assassin’s Creed Shadows guide, including our walkthrough, interactive map, and tips on essential game details not explicitly mentioned in the game.