‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Launch Critical for Ubisoft’s Financial Recovery

The French videogame publisher Ubisoft will launch Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the fourteenth main game of the series, this Thursday, March 20, and its performance will define the company’s future.

According to Reuters, Ubisoft has been facing financial trouble for the past few years as well as many challenges in the market. Its stock has been declining—over 40% last year—affecting investor’s perceptions, including its largest stakeholder, the Guillemot family, which has been negotiating buyout deals.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft’s latest historical action video game that takes players to 16th-century feudal Japan—a location requested by many players—, represents Ubisoft’s latest and largest effort to stay afloat in the market, after underperforming releases such as Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

“The release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a bit of an existential moment for Ubisoft,” said Joost Van Dreunen, a lecturer at NYU’s Stern School of Business, to Reuters. “If it does really well, it could go a long way toward repairing its financial position.”

The new game has been delayed twice and Ubisoft recently confirmed leaks and urged players to avoid spoilers. After polishing the interactive experience, featuring two protagonists, Naoe and  Yasuke, the company has allowed players to access the game through pre-loading options for those who pre-ordered the game.

https://x.com/assassinscreed/status/1900577774827348105

Assassin’s Creed Shadows already has multiple reviews—mostly positive—on the popular platform Metacritic, currently reaching a favorable 81 score.

Although other games like Grand Theft Auto 6 have millions of players with high expectations and eager to finally experience the new narrative after 12 years since the last sequel, Assassin’s Creed Shadows remains one of the industry’s major franchises and now brings its characters to Japan, a destination that fans have been requesting for years. Meeting players’ expectations will be crucial for the company in 2025.