Since its launch on May 20, Assassin's Creed Shadows has attracted over 3 million players within just seven days, surpassing the initial player counts of both Origins and Odyssey. Ubisoft reported a significant increase from the 2 million players noted on the second day, highlighting the game's strong start.

Ubisoft's internal email, as covered by IGN, provided further context on Shadows' performance during its opening weekend. The company compared its success to Origins and Odyssey, rather than to the exceptional launch of Valhalla in 2020. Shadows achieved the second highest day one sales revenue in the Assassin's Creed series, trailing only behind Valhalla. It also set a record for Ubisoft as the biggest day one launch on the PlayStation Store and has accumulated over 40 million hours of playtime.

The release of Assassin's Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following delays and the commercial disappointment of Star Wars Outlaws last year. The company has faced numerous challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the game's launch. Amidst these struggles, the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders, reportedly considered talks with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to retain control of their intellectual property. As such, the gaming industry is closely monitoring Shadows' performance as an indicator of Ubisoft's future trajectory.

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows reached a peak of 64,825 concurrent players over the weekend, making it the most-played game in the series on the platform since Odyssey in 2018. In comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare peaked at 89,418 players on Steam. These figures are being analyzed alongside other recent triple-A single-player game launches and past Assassin's Creed titles on Valve’s platform.

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While Assassin's Creed Shadows has shown impressive player engagement, it's challenging to gauge whether it meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations without specific revenue or sales data. Ultimately, the financial performance of Shadows will play a crucial role in shaping not only the game's future but also the fate of Ubisoft. More detailed financial insights may be available in Ubisoft's forthcoming financial report.

For those looking to explore the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows set in feudal Japan, our comprehensive guide offers everything you need, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and insights into aspects of the game that might not be immediately obvious.