Assassin’s Creed Shadows has become the second best-selling game of 2025 within the United States, maintaining a consistent hold at the top of the sales charts for the three weeks since it released. The news arrives courtesy of Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, who noted the game is only tracking behind Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom’s fastest-selling game ever.
Given Monster Hunter Wilds has sold 10 million copies to date (as last updated in early March 2025), that’s impressive company to be in. It’s even more impressive, given the wild and ridiculous backlash Assassin’s Creed Shadows faced as it headed to launch. We won’t dwell too much on what sparked these conversations, but suffice to say many of the discussions were blatantly racist, in a tone that doesn’t bear repeating.
Amidst a sea of discourse, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has become one of the most popular games of the year, so far. While the statistics reported by Piscatella relate only to the game’s success within the United States, as one of the largest gaming markets, it reflects popularity and success in other regions.
For Ubisoft, the news likely arrives with ideal timing. Prior to launch, it felt a lot like Shadows would be the make-or-break title for the company, after a string of critical hits that turned out to be financial disappointments.
Read: Ubisoft forms new subsidiary with Tencent backing
All that said, it does appear years of downturn will still impact Ubisoft in the coming years. As recently announced, the company is now in the process of forming a new subsidiary with Tencent, with this entity focussed on the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchises.
Per Ubisoft, in its announcement post, the new subsidiary has been formed for the company to become more agile and “unleash the full creative potential of its teams.” It’s promised new experiences in the gaming space, with a rapid release schedule, as well as free-to-play “touchpoints” and more social features.
The financial success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows should hopefully outline that single-player adventures still have a core place at Ubisoft, and confirm what many players want are strong, narrative-driven games with compelling characters and moreish gameplay. Per critical reviews and online chatter, that’s part of why Assassin’s Creed Shadows appealed – and what remains compelling about the franchise.
With the Tencent and Ubisoft entity now forming, this lesson has arrived in the nick of time, although whether it’s taken on board remains to be seen. For now, the company’s future direction remains in flux, and we await news about what’s next.
