Assassin's Creed Shadows has been the series' best launch since Valhalla, but that was "a perfect storm we may never see again," says Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an incredible success for Ubisoft, and it couldn't have come at a better time for the company. After game shutdowns, lackluster launches, and studio closures, it needed a win. But an internal memo warns staff not to compare it to Valhalla.

Seen by IGN, the memo states Shadows is the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, with Valhalla claiming the top spot. However, the same memo notes Valhalla launched in a "perfect storm" thanks to its 2020 release date that coincided with most of us being cooped up at home due to Covid. It also had the benefit of launching across current and last-gen consoles, meaning it had a huge potential player base.

"It was a perfect storm we may never see again," the memo reads. "That's why it's more meaningful to compare Shadows to entries like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage — games released in more typical cycles. And in that frame, Shadows is already setting a new bar."

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The memo notes that 27% of Shadows' total "activations" were on PC, and Steam "played a major role." Ubisoft used to exclusively sell its games via its own PC launcher, but Shadows' success is "a strong validation of our decision to return to the platform." The game has amassed over two million players in just a few days.

Additionally, "feedback across moderated, verified platforms — those less affected by review bombing — remains incredibly positive," and player engagement, whatever that means, is at "record levels." It's got "very positive" reviews on Steam, and high scores on both PlayStation and Xbox. Our own Assassin's Creed Shadows review says it has "More confidence, texture, and purpose than we've seen since Assassin's Creed pivoted into RPG territory."

So, despite some controversy regarding the ability to desecrate shrines, which has since been patched out, it seems that Shadows has been a massive success. We'll need to wait until Ubisoft's next financial report to know exactly how well it's done, but things seem positive for now.

If you're hungry for more stealthy stabbing shenanigans, check out our ranking of the best Assassin's Creed games.