Assassin's Creed Shadows Video Game Leaked Three Weeks Before Release, Ubisoft Responds

Times are definitely very complicated for Ubisoft. The French publisher, in great difficulty for many months, is counting heavily on Assassin's Creed Shadows , the next opus of its famous license . But the video game has leaked in recent days, three weeks before its official release on March 20. On social networks, Internet users film themselves installing the game on their PlayStation 5. Others have even streamed, that is to say broadcast their experience on the internet. Ubisoft deplored these leaks in a press release published Monday, February 24 on X .

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"We are aware that players have accessed Assassin's Creed Shadows before its official release. [...] Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish player excitement," the company said. "The development team is still working on fixes to prepare the experience for launch and any footage shared online is not representative of the final quality of the game," Ubisoft added. The publisher then addressed the leakers directly, asking them to "not spoil" the experience for other players.

The game Assassin's Creed Shadows has already experienced a chaotic development. Ubisoft had decided to postpone its release twice, initially scheduled for November 15, 2024. The game was heavily criticized as soon as its first trailer was published in May 2024. The reason: the choice of one of the main characters, Yasuke, an African who became a samurai warrior in 16th century Japan. This decision sparked a flood of messages, sometimes openly racist and hateful, on social networks, particularly from the far right.

Ubisoft, known worldwide for Rayman, Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell and Just Dance , has suffered a series of setbacks in recent months. Sales of Star Wars: Outlaws , released last summer, were disappointing and the company's stock price collapsed, while the internal climate deteriorated . The release of Assassin's Creed Shadows , its flagship license with sales estimated at over 200 million worldwide, therefore appears to be a turning point for Ubisoft.