Yesterday, February 24, we reported that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had leaked online, with numerous people streaming the game a month ahead of its official release date on March 20.

Over the weekend, as noted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, now-deleted social media posts revealed physical copies of the game being sold before its intended street date. Additionally, multiple streams of the unreleased game surfaced on platforms like Twitch.

In response to these leaks, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher of the game, has issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They acknowledged that some players had accessed Assassin’s Creed Shadows prematurely and emphasized that the development team is still refining the game with patches ahead of its launch. Ubisoft stated, "The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch, and any footage shared online does not represent the final quality of the game."

Ubisoft expressed their disappointment about the leaks, noting that such incidents can dampen the excitement for other players. They urged the community to refrain from spoiling the experience for others, saying, "Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players. We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others. Thank you to our community for already taking steps to protect everyone from spoilers."

Encouraging fans to stay engaged without spoiling the game, Ubisoft added, "Stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers, and keep an eye on our channel for more official surprises in the coming weeks! March 20 will be here soon!"

These leaks pose another challenge for Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed franchise. The development team has previously had to apologize for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan.

Originally slated for a November release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows saw its launch date shifted first to February 14, and then to the current date of March 20. Given Ubisoft's recent struggles with lackluster sales and investor backlash, the success of this title is crucial for the company.