Assassin’s Creed Shadows Delayed to February 2025, Season Pass Model Dropped After Backlash
Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft’s upcoming Japan-set action-adventure title, has been delayed to next year. Initially set for release on November 15, the game will now launch across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on February 14, 2025, despite being in a “feature complete” state. Ubisoft cited the underwhelming launch of Star Wars Outlaws and said the additional time would be utilised to further polish the next Assassin’s Creed game.
The company also updated its financial outlook for fiscal year 2024-25 based on the decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows and the “softer than expected” launch of Star Wars Outlaws.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Delayed
Ubisoft said it was taking player feedback into consideration to delay the game to February 2024. “While the game is feature complete, the learnings from the Star Wars Outlaws release led us to provide additional time to further polish the title,” the company said in a press release Wednesday. “This will enable the biggest entry in the franchise to fully deliver on its ambition, notably by fulfilling the promise of our dual protagonist adventure, with Naoe and Yasuke bringing two very different gameplay styles.”
Additionally, Ubisoft is also dropping the traditional Season Pass model for the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The decision follows backlash from players when Ubisoft revealed that the game would come with a Season Pass that would grant owners access to a bonus quest at launch, in addition to two future expansions.
“We are departing from the traditional Season Pass model,” the company said. “All players will be able to enjoy the game at the same time on February 14 and those who preorder the game will be granted the first expansion for free.”
Finally, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will also now launch day one on Steam, in addition to being available on Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store on PC.
The delay and the underwhelming launch of Star Wars Outlaws has led to Ubisoft revising its financial targets for FY 2024-25. The French company now expects net bookings of around €1.95 billion (roughly Rs. 18,194 crore). Net bookings for the second quarter of FY 2024-25 are now expected to stand at around €350-370 million (roughly Rs. 3,266 crore-Rs. 3,452 crore).
Star Wars Outlaws Sales Disappoint
Following disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft hasn’t specified units sold), Ubisoft is also planning a series of updates to polish the game and improve player experience. Taking player feedback into account, the company claimed its development teams were now “fully mobilized” to issue updates to attract more players during the holiday season. Ubisoft also confirmed that Star Wars Outlaws would be available on Steam on November 21.
In a statement, Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot said that the company would continue to focus on open-world games and live service titles, despite underwhelming launches across both genres in 2024. This year, the company released Skull and Bones and XDefiant, both live service games that failed to impress players.
“Although the tangible benefits of the Company’s transformation are taking longer than anticipated to materialize, we keep on our strategy, focusing on two key verticals – Open World Adventures and GaaS-native experiences – with the objective to drive growth, recurrence and robust free cash flow generation in our business,” Guillemot said.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Controversy
The chief executive also appeared to address the controversy surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows without specifically mentioning the game. Since its announcement, which confirmed the game would feature the real-life historical figure Yasuke, a samurai of African origin, as one of its two protagonists, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has faced racist backlash online.
While the game has faced valid criticism ahead of launch for its pricing and season pass strategy, several commentators and YouTubers have accused the game of pushing a progressive “agenda” with its inclusion of a Black protagonist. Guillemot, however, did not address the hateful discourse around the game and appeared to placate players.
“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,” he said. “We remain committed to creating games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”
