Assassin's Creed Shadows release time – the countdown to Ubisoft's Japan-inspired RPG is on

After several delays, the Assassin's Creed Shadows release time is finally near, so we're kicking off the countdown to Ubisoft's long-awaited RPG.

The Assassin's Creed series has taken place in many different periods, from Renaissance Italy to Ancient Greece. Despite years of asking, though, fans have had to wait for Japan – until now.

Thankfully, early reaction suggests the wait was worth it. In our Assassin's Creed Shadows review, we gave Ubisoft's latest a four-star score, saying the RPG has "more confidence, texture, and purpose than we've seen since Assassin's Creed pivoted into RPG territory."

"Assassin's Creed Shadows thrives on boldness," we say. "Its dual protagonists improve on the series' stealth-driven roots and modern RPG leanings, though they're let down by a vague story that fails to make full use of either character."

Now, all that's left to do is gear up for launch. First, you'll want to ensure you have Assassin's Creed Shadows pre-loaded so you can play when the release time comes. While the timing differed across Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC to some degree, you can pre-load Assassin's Creed Shadows wherever you like now. If you've got that out of the way, the only thing left is the Assassin's Creed Shadows release times. For that, read on.

Assassin's Creed Shadows release time

• 9pm PDT on March 19 for PC (12am PDT on March 20 for consoles)
• 12am EDT on March 20 for PC and consoles
• 10pm GMT on March 19 for Ubiconnect, 4am GMT on March 20 for Steam, and 12am GMT on March 20 for consoles
• 11pm CET on March 19 for Ubiconnect, 5am CET on March 20 for Steam, and 12am CET on March 20 for consoles

A wee bit to unpack there. You can refer to the official infographic above, though the gist is that PC owners typically get to play early as storefronts like Steam often insist on a simultaneous launch. Console storefronts, meanwhile, are happy for a game to go live when it hits midnight, wherever a player is. It's a mere difference of hours, regardless.

And there you have it, the Assassin's Creed Shadows unlock time. If you want to find out more about what's beyond that, check out our explainer the Assassin's Creed Shadows roadmap, DLC, and future content.

Will Shadows join our list of the best Assassin's Creed games? Only time will tell.