After reaching the one million player milestone in less than 24 hours, "Assassin's Creed Shadows" hit another milestone. In just three days since its launch, it reached more than two million players.
Ubisoft has confirmed that it was the fastest-growing title in the series since it already beat what "AC Origins" and "AC Odyssey" achieved during their release.
'Assassin's Creed Shadows' Breaks Valhalla's Record Within 24 Hours
On its first day, "Shadows" passed 1 million players in the first 24 hours, well passing Assassin's Creed Valhalla's record. For context, when Valhalla was released in 2020, it was Ubisoft's largest PC release up until then. But its delayed Steam release hurt its long-term player count versus "Origins", "Odyssey", and now "Shadows," all of which were on Steam on day one.
According to PC Gamer, Shadows' simultaneous release on all major platforms, including Steam, helped its instant success. Valhalla's Steam delay by two years restricted its audience, as "Shadows" enjoyed a hungry PC player base itching to jump right in from its launch day.
🔥 2 MILLION PLAYERS! 🔥
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) March 22, 2025
We're thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone!
Assassin's Creed Shadows has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan! #AssassinsCreedShadows pic.twitter.com/a6YezXNtYI
Player Numbers Continue to Soar
Shadows' all-time high concurrent player base on Steam has surpassed 60,000, just below Odyssey's record of 62,069. Compare this to Origins' 41,551 and Valhalla's paltry 15,679 concurrent players. If Shadows keeps this up, it'll beat Odyssey's record within days.
More 'Shadows' Players Mean Ubisoft's Fortunes
Shadows' phenomenal success could not have arrived at a more opportune moment for Ubisoft. Following a tough 2024, marred by disappointing releases such as "Star Wars Outlaws" and "Skull and Bones," the sheer positive response to Shadows has given the company a much-needed boost.
With more than 2 million players on board within a matter of days, "Shadows" is on its way to being the biggest and most played game of the year.
Controversy Surrounding 'Shadows'
Having a Black samurai as a protagonist in a new "Assassin's Creed" game is somewhat questionable for others. For many players, it's such a good move to introduce a diverse character from a different race.
Well, controversies aren't common in the franchise anymore, as the latest "Shadows" installment was hit by backlash.
Notably, those who were quick to shout "historical inaccuracy" at Yasuke's presence were strangely quiet when movies such as The Last Samurai featuring Tom Cruise featured similarly imaginative historical storytelling.
Shadows' success has shown gamers care more about good storytelling and varied characters than appeasing misplaced outrage.
Some Japanese shrine officials criticized Ubisoft for destroying their religious sites. Other players stood by the assignment that it was just an interactive game, but some said that destroying the buildings was extremely disrespectful towards the Japanese culture.
