Ubisoft Addresses Assassin's Creed Shadows Leak

On February 24, we reported a significant leak of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, with the game being streamed online by numerous individuals a full month before its scheduled release on March 20. Over the weekend, as highlighted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, social media posts, which have since been deleted, revealed that physical copies of the game were being sold prematurely, leading to multiple unauthorized streams appearing on platforms like Twitch.

In response to these leaks, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher of the game, has issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They acknowledged that some players had gained early access to Assassin’s Creed Shadows and emphasized that the development team is still working on finalizing the game through patches. Ubisoft clarified that any footage circulating online does not reflect the final quality of the product. They expressed their disappointment over the leaks, stating, "Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players," and urged the community to refrain from spoiling the experience for others. Ubisoft appreciated the efforts of the community in mitigating spoilers and encouraged fans to "Stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers," while promising more official updates in the weeks leading up to the March 20 release date.

These leaks are a setback for Ubisoft, particularly for the Assassin's Creed franchise, which has faced its share of challenges. The development team previously had to apologize for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan. Originally set for a November release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was delayed first to February 14 and then to its current date of March 20. Amidst struggling sales of recent releases and investor backlash, Ubisoft is counting on Assassin’s Creed Shadows to deliver strong performance to bolster its position in the market.