About a month before the official release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is already in circulation. Ubisoft is reacting to the incident and issuing a warning – what does this mean for the beleaguered publisher?
Cloak and dagger, precise attacks from the shadows – that’s what Assassin’s Creed is all about. But with the latest installment of the series, Ubisoft is in danger of losing control of the element of surprise.
Because just a month before the official release date of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game is already in circulation – physically and digitally. According to the well-known YouTuber ‘The Hidden One’, the game was accidentally uploaded to the PSN store.
Ubisoft asks “don’t spoil the experience for others”
The developer and publisher reacted promptly and issued a warning: “The development team continues to work on patches to prepare the game for release. Any images shared online do not represent the final quality of the game.”
In addition, Ubisoft appealed to the community: “These leaks can diminish the excitement of the players. We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others.”
But the bigger question remains: how does the leak affect the hype surrounding the game? Ubisoft is banking on Assassin’s Creed Shadows for the 2024/2025 financial year. In its last quarterly report, the publisher predicted net bookings of 1.9 billion euros – a billion of which are expected in the fourth quarter alone, when the new game is scheduled to be released.
Ubisoft stock on the rise
At least on the stock market, there is currently no damage: Ubisoft’s share price rose by 6.55 percent this week and is currently at 12.20 euros. Bugs that involuntarily come to light and should still be fixed could in turn destroy the recovery.
Either way, the crucial question is whether the damage can be limited by spoilers and leaks. After all, one thing is clear: targeted pinpricks from the shadows can create more hype and thus more potential for the price to rise. Assassin’s Creed Shadows will officially be released on March 20, 2025.
