Fans have to wait a little longer for the Assassin’s Creed saga as Ubisoft has announced delay in release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows from its original 15th November launch to 14th February, 2025. The decision comes in the wake of weaker-than-expected sales for Ubisoft’s new release, Star Wars Outlaws, and underwhelming profits in the current quarter.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ubisoft explained the decision to push back Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which will be set in historical Japan, as a necessary step to polish the game and ensure it meets the high expectations of the franchise’s fans. “While the game is feature complete, the learnings from the Star Wars Outlaws release led us to provide additional time to further polish the title,” the company said. “This will enable the biggest entry in the franchise to fully deliver on its ambition, notably by fulfilling the promise of our dual protagonist adventure, with Naoe and Yasuke bringing two very different gameplay styles,” it added.
The delay follows the reveal of PlayStation’s Ghost of Tsushima sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, which shares a similar historical Japanese setting and is also slated for a 2025 release. The timing of both games has sparked comparisons and heightened anticipation.
Besides the news of delay, Ubisoft also announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available on Steam from day one, marking a departure from the company’s recent launch strategies. Moreover, Ubisoft is moving away from its traditional Season Pass model, offering players who preorder the game a free first expansion upon release.
Released on 30th August, Star Wars Outlaws has not performed as well as Ubisoft had hoped, contributing to the company’s decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft stated that its development teams are working hard to implement updates and improve the player experience in order to boost engagement for the holiday season. The game will officially launch on Steam on November 21.
Following the disappointing performance of Outlaws, Ubisoft adjusted its financial guidance for the fiscal year, lowering net bookings to approximately €1.95 billion, with an estimated €350-370 million for the second quarter alone. Addressing the company’s recent financial struggles in a statement on Wednesday, Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot emphasized over renewed focus on a player-centric approach. “Our second quarter performance fell short of our expectations, prompting us to address this swiftly and firmly, with an even greater focus on a player-centric, gameplay-first approach,” said Guillemot.
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