Coming as something of a surprise, today Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows is no longer going to hit on November 15 as had been previously planned. It will now be released on February 14, 2025. According to Ubisoft the game was delayed so that the company could spend more time polishing the title and meet the high standards the franchise has set.
According to Ubisoft, the game is already feature complete, but the team wants to use the additional time to refine the experience, particularly regarding the dual protagonist adventure featuring Naoe and Yasuke. This bold move likely comes in response to the mixed reception of Star Wars Outlaws-which, while critic-friendly, failed to meet sales expectations. The delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows is a major development; it seems Ubisoft is taking a step back to reassess its strategy. It also announced the game's availability on Steam upon its release, yet another U-turn given its earlier vows of publishing the game exclusively on the Epic Games Store. Perhaps this is a reaction to the less-than-stellar sales of Star Wars Outlaws, arguably because of its state of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store.
"Assassin’s Creed Shadows will now be released on February 14, 2025" Ubisoft said.
"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."
"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."
That under-performance may also be driving what appears to be a step back from its commitment to the Epic Games Store, as Ubisoft said Assassin's Creed Shadows will be available on Steam on launch day.
The traditional season pass model is also out: "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" Ubisoft said. All existing preorders will be cancelled.
In a separate message posted on X, Ubisoft acknowledged the delay "will come as disappointing news," but said "we sincerely believe this is in the best interest of the game, and ultimate your experience as a player."
Along with the delay, Ubisoft announced that it will be doing away with the traditional season pass model for the company. Instead, everyone plays on February 14 and anyone who pre-orders gets the first expansion free. This is a major change for how the company treats post-launch content and likely a result of changing attitudes in the gaming industry.