Assassin’s Creed Shadows Achieves Second-Highest Day 1 Sales in Franchise History

Ubisoft’s latest release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows recorded the second-highest Day 1 sales revenue in the history of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

According to VGC, the game’s launch sales were surpassed only by Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which benefited from a more lucrative holiday release and the pandemic gaming boom.

Despite launching in March—a less conventional release window for major titles—Shadows has outperformed many of its predecessors. Ubisoft confirmed that the game attracted over two million players within its first 48 hours, surpassing the launch numbers of Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The strong debut reflects growing anticipation for the franchise’s return to historical settings, particularly its long-awaited journey to feudal Japan.

Beyond its impressive sales figures, Shadows also set new records in digital performance. Ubisoft reported that it became the publisher’s most successful Day 1 launch on the PlayStation Store and the most wish-listed Ubisoft title ever.

The game also dominated streaming platforms, generating over 11 million hours watched on Twitch, making it the best-performing Ubisoft release in recent years in terms of audience engagement.

A significant portion of the game’s sales came from PC, where approximately 27% of total "activations" (sales plus Ubisoft+ sub) were recorded. Steam played "a significant role" in PC sales. Unlike other games in the franchise, Shadows was released on day one on the platform, breaking all records in terms of concurrent viewership on Steam.

The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following several underwhelming game releases and financial challenges. The publisher is actively exploring strategic options to strengthen its position in the gaming industry.

With strong sales and positive player reception, Shadows has provided a much-needed boost to the Assassin’s Creed series and Ubisoft’s overall business outlook.