Ubisoft has officially delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows to February 2025, to provide “additional time to further polish the title” and to ensure the game “fully delivers” on its ambitions. As described, the move was made in response to the “learnings” from Star Wars Outlaws, which Ubisoft says underperformed on expectations.
In addition to a months-long delay, Ubisoft has also announced major changes to the release model of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Where previously, Season Passes allowed certain players to enjoy games a few days early, that will not be the case for this release. As detailed, “all players will be able to enjoy the game at the same time” with the additional benefit that players who preorder the game will get its first expansion for free.
At this stage, it’s unclear whether this departure from the Season Pass model will only apply to Assassin’s Creed Shadows, or whether it reflects a new, ongoing company edict.
Beyond this transition, Ubisoft has also confirmed Assassin’s Creed Shadows will mark the return of new releases on Steam, day one, to ensure that all players can enjoy Ubisoft games together.
Read: Ubisoft attempts to address Assassin’s Creed Shadows discourse
Further explanation for the Assassin’s Creed Shadows delay
Further explaining the decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has explained a more cautious approach to game releases, following the “softer than expected launch” for Star Wars Outlaws. This has inspired a revision of financial targets, with the company now expecting net bookings “of around €1.95 billion” and break-even non-IFRS operating income in FY2024-25.
“Our second quarter performance fell short of our expectations, prompting us to address this swiftly and firmly, with an even greater focus on a player-centric, gameplay-first approach and an unwavering commitment to the long-term value of our brands,” Yves Guillemot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft said.
To maintain its strategy “with the objective to drive growth, recurrence and robust free cash flow generation” Ubisoft will undergo a review to improve the business in the months ahead.
“In the light of recent challenges, we acknowledge the need for greater efficiency while delighting players. As a result, beyond the first important short-term actions undertaken, the Executive Committee, under the supervision of the Board of Directors, is launching a review aimed at further improving our execution, notably in this player-centric approach, and accelerating our strategic path towards a higher performing model to the benefit of our stakeholders and shareholders.”
In addition to these statements, Guillemot also briefly addressed the “polarised comments” around Ubisoft lately, many of which seem to be centred on bad faith arguments about the inclusion of Yasuke, the historically-recognised first Black samurai, in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
“I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment-first company, creating games for the broadest possible audience, and our goal is not to push any specific agenda,” Guillemot said. “We remain committed to creating games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”
