Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Franchise’s Lowest Point Yet

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has officially hit a new low. Despite being the latest AAA release from Ubisoft, the game is now trailing behind a seven-year-old predecessor, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, in terms of active player count. According to SteamDB, Shadows peaked at just 7,673 concurrent players over the May 10, 2025 weekend, while Odyssey reached 7,879. This reversal of expectations underscores growing concerns over Ubisoft’s direction for the series.

Shadows Loses to Odyssey on Steam

Ubisoft’s heavy investment in Assassin’s Creed Shadows appears to have fallen flat. Hundreds of millions of dollars, years of development, and massive marketing campaigns haven’t been enough to surpass Odyssey’s enduring popularity. The older title, released in 2018, continues to resonate with fans due to its refined mechanics, historical setting, and compelling gameplay. Shadows, meanwhile, struggles to keep players engaged, with many abandoning it for past entries like Origins or Black Flag.

Mark Alexis Côté, a key figure at Ubisoft, had warned about this exact scenario. He highlighted that new games must outperform their predecessors, especially when older titles remain accessible and affordable due to updates and subscription services. His comments now feel prophetic. Shadows was released at a premium price point, but failed to justify the cost compared to Odyssey’s current value and performance.

Poor Design Decisions Drive Players Away

One of the main criticisms centers around Ubisoft’s creative direction. Shadows’ narrative focuses on Yasuke, a real historical figure but a controversial choice for a lead character in a game set in feudal Japan. Fans had long requested an Assassin’s Creed game in Japan, expecting a traditional stealth-focused samurai or ninja experience. Instead, Ubisoft delivered a clunky character-switching mechanic with little authenticity, alienating the core audience.

The voice acting, recycled gameplay, and lack of engaging story elements only worsen the situation. Many players report that Shadows feels like a corporate checklist rather than a well-crafted game. Cutscenes lack depth, the story progression feels forced, and the gameplay loop fails to innovate. As a result, many fans have openly voiced their disappointment across forums and social media platforms.

Shadows’ Marketing vs. Reality

Despite Ubisoft’s insistence that Shadows had over three million “players engaged,” the lack of clear sales numbers tells a different story. Critics and players alike have noted that marketing buzzwords are being used to mask poor performance. Meanwhile, Ghost of Tsushima—a PlayStation-exclusive game released in 2020—is trending higher in conversation due to its quality storytelling and gameplay.

Ubisoft’s leadership acknowledged that only a handful of games annually break the 10 million sales mark necessary to be considered successful in today’s AAA landscape. With Shadows failing to compete even within its own franchise, the fallout is significant. The disconnect between Ubisoft’s internal expectations and audience demand has led to a growing distrust among its player base.

Fans Return to Classic Entries

As Shadows continues to underperform, players are revisiting older Assassin’s Creed games, many of which offer superior experiences in every regard. Forums are filled with recommendations to play Odyssey, Black Flag, or Origins instead. These titles have aged well, both technically and narratively, and continue to attract players long after their original releases.

Ubisoft’s gamble on Assassin’s Creed Shadows has not paid off. The insistence on pushing ideology over gameplay, ignoring fan expectations, and relying on outdated mechanics has cost them dearly. As numbers continue to drop, Shadows may be remembered not as a bold new direction, but as a cautionary tale of ignoring your audience.