Assassin’s Creed Shadows is off to a strong start on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, as the game reached 1 million players within hours of launch, Ubisoft says. Concurrent players on PC via Steam for its launch day also look good compared to the previous release, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but there is a caveat here.
It’s not even 4PM here in Canada and Assassin’s Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players!
Thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts for joining this adventure in Feudal Japan. We are beyond excited to start this journey with you! š pic.twitter.com/1cqwABrQfNā Assassin’s Creed (@assassinscreed) March 20, 2025
The important thing to note is that on PC, Assassin’s Creed Shadows had a day-one launch on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Valhalla adopted a different approach when it first launched on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and even Google Stadia in November 2020. While it was available on PC as well, it was an Epic Games Store exclusive until November 2022. When it reached Steam, it peaked at 15,431 concurrent players in December 2022.
On its first day, Shadows eclipsed that with a peak of 41,412 players and that number has already grown to 42,415. In comparison, Assassin’s Creed Mirage has a peak player count of 7,837, and at the time of writing, Shadows hasn’t beaten Origins (41,541 concurrent players) or Odyssey (61,984 concurrent players) numbers yet. Concurrent players typically increase on the first weekend after launch as well, so these numbers could still potentially increase further.
With Ubisoft undergoing financial struggles recently, analyst Joost Van Dreunen explained how Shadows could be a “bit of an existential moment” for the company. In an interview, Van Dreunen explained how if Shadows can do “really well” in terms of sales, that could “go a long way toward repairing [Ubisoft’s] financial position.”
In related news, a new update for the game now prevents players from destroying certain items in shrines, possibly as a response to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s criticism of the game and the discussion around potential cultural insensitivity.
If you’re planning to get started in the new Ubisoft game and you’re looking for a few tips, you can check out GameSpot’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows guides hub for a selection of walkthroughs. You can also read our Assassin’s Creed Shadows review for more insight into the game.