Ubisoft’s Future Depends on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows – Good Luck With That

If Ubisoft’s last couple of years were a video game, it would be stuck on “nightmare difficulty.” The publisher of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs is in serious trouble after what many are calling the company’s worst year ever in 2024. With a string of flops, leadership shakeups, and mounting pressure from investors, Ubisoft’s hopes now rest on one game: Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, set to release in February 2025. Will it be enough to save the studio, or is Ubisoft doomed to fall on its own hidden blade?

2024’s Greatest Hits—of Failure

Let’s recap Ubisoft’s disastrous 2024:

• Skull and Bones finally launched after 11 years of development. Marketed as Ubisoft’s first “AAAA” title, it landed with a pathetic thud, earning a 59 on Metacritic and a user score of 3.3. It peaked at just over 2,600 concurrent players on Steam. Yikes.
• Star Wars Outlaws, an open-world RPG set in a galaxy far, far away, underwhelmed with only 1 million copies sold in its first month—a galaxy-sized disappointment considering the hype.
• The free-to-play shooter XDefiant was canceled after less than seven months due to poor player retention and profitability.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft’s stock value hit a decade low, prompting investor talks about potential buyouts from heavyweights like Tencent and Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group. Internally, studios like Ubisoft San Francisco and Osaka faced closures, with layoffs hitting over 500 employees globally.

The Weight on Shadows’ Shoulders

Gaming insider Jason Schreier has described Ubisoft as standing at a “critical crossroads,” with Assassin’s Creed: Shadows potentially determining its fate. Set in feudal Japan, the game was delayed to February 14, 2025—a delay that only adds to the pressure.

Not all is well in Paris, where Ubisoft Entertainment SA has seen shares plummet to their lowest in a decade on weaker-than-expected sales and the delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was originally planned for last year but slipped to February after the underperformance of Ubisoft’s previous big game, Star Wars Outlaws. Now, Ubisoft is weighing over options including going private.

The upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows could tell us a lot. If it’s a hit, Ubisoft will have more time (and leverage) as the founding Guillemot family sorts out the company’s future. But if it flops, we might see a drastic reorganization happen very quickly, be it a buyout or a sale. Tencent Holdings Ltd., which already owns a stake in Ubisoft, has been linked to buyout talks, but we could also see an unexpected suitor swoop in. One guess? Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, which has said it is looking to make a big purchase this year.

Unlike recent entries like Valhalla and Mirage, which received mixed reviews, Shadows aims to combine the best of old-school stealth mechanics with RPG elements. Sounds promising, right? Well, not everyone is convinced.

Controversies and Criticisms

1. Cultural Representation: While Ubisoft boasts its commitment to diversity, its portrayal of Japanese culture has sparked backlash. Critics claim the game leans heavily on Chinese influences, with inaccuracies in architecture and weapon design, alienating the very audience it seeks to celebrate.
2. Diversity Debate: The decision to feature a Black samurai protagonist has been polarizing. While some praise Ubisoft for breaking norms, others argue it compromises historical authenticity. The internet’s reaction? Let’s just say it’s been “lively.”
3. Microtransactions: Ubisoft’s tendency to lock core content behind paywalls—including preorder-exclusive missions—hasn’t helped its image. Fans are frustrated, and rightly so.
4. Gameplay Shifts: Many fans yearn for the stealth-focused gameplay that defined early Assassin’s Creed titles. However, previews suggest Shadows continues the RPG-heavy trend that’s divided the fanbase.

Ubisoft’s Broader Issues

Even if Shadows turns out to be a hit, it’s not a guaranteed lifeline for Ubisoft. The company’s reliance on its “Ubisoft formula”—open-world design, cluttered maps, and repetitive gameplay—has led to diminishing returns. Players are tired of fetch quests and overly monetized mechanics. Simply put, Ubisoft needs more than a single successful game to regain its former glory.

The Wrap-Up: Can Shadows Save Ubisoft?

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows carries the weight of an entire company on its shoulders. A successful launch could buy Ubisoft some time to right the ship and prove it can still innovate. But let’s be honest: one game’s success won’t erase years of mismanagement, poorly received games, and disillusioned fans. Ubisoft’s future is as murky as the fog-covered rooftops its assassins love to perch on.

For now, all eyes are on February 14. Good luck, Ubisoft—you’re going to need it.

Sources:

• NotebookCheck: Ubisoft at a Turning Point
• IGN: Everything Announced at Ubisoft Forward
• GamingBible: 2024’s Biggest Gaming Flops
• Push Square: Inside Ubisoft’s Internal Investigation