On February 24, we reported that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had leaked online, with numerous individuals streaming the game a full month before its official release date set for March 20. Over the weekend, as highlighted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, now-deleted social media posts revealed physical copies of the game being sold prematurely, and multiple unauthorized streams of the unreleased game surfaced on platforms like Twitch.
In response to these leaks, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They acknowledged the premature access to the game and emphasized that the development team is still finalizing patches to ensure the best possible launch experience. Ubisoft stated, "We are aware players have accessed Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its official release. The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch, and any footage shared online does not represent the final quality of the game."
The company expressed disappointment over the leaks, noting their potential to reduce excitement for the game's official release. They urged the community to refrain from spoiling the experience for others, saying, "Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players. We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others. Thank you to our community for already taking steps to protect everyone from spoilers."
Ubisoft concluded their statement with a message of anticipation for the game's release, encouraging fans to "Stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers, and keep an eye on our channel for more official surprises in the coming weeks! March 20 will be here soon!"
These leaks represent another challenge for Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed franchise. The development team has previously had to address issues such as using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan. Originally slated for a November release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was postponed to February 14, and then further delayed to the current release date of March 20. With struggling Ubisoft needing it to perform well after disappointing sales of other recent titles and facing investor backlash, the stakes are high for this latest installment in the series.
