Ubisoft’s troubles have mounted into 2025, with the PC version of Assassin’s Creed Origins becoming the latest casualty of the company’s ongoing woes. Steam users have flooded the game with negative reviews, dropping its recent review rating to “Mixed.”

While some legacy access media outlets, including IGN, have characterized this as “review bombing,” it’s important to challenge this label. What we’re witnessing isn’t a coordinated campaign to unfairly tank the game’s reputation or unfairly malign a studio that’s simply trying to do its best. Rather, it’s genuine consumer frustration with a product that, for many, no longer functions.

Steam users are review-bombing Assassin’s Creed Origins after Microsoft’s 24H2 Windows update bricked the game. https://t.co/Ze28z9qRzl pic.twitter.com/xX9d6QjPQ9

— IGN (@IGN) January 2, 2025

 

The backlash stems from a November Windows 11 update (version 24H2) that rendered several Ubisoft titles—including Assassin’s Creed Origins, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Star Wars Outlaws—unplayable.

(Thankfully no one was playing Star Wars Outlaws so it likely led to very little frustration)

Issues ranged from black screens and freezing to games failing to launch altogether. Microsoft acknowledged the severity of the problem, implementing a compatibility block on Windows updates for affected systems and recommending users avoid manual installation of version 24H2.

A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft

Ubisoft, meanwhile, scrambled to address the fallout, issuing fixes for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. However, Origins and other Assassin’s Creed titles remain unplayable for many, with no definitive resolution in sight. Players turning to Steam reviews to voice their grievances is a natural consequence of this prolonged silence and inaction.

Negative reviews for Assassin’s Creed Origins began to spike in December and peaked as 2025 began. The content of these reviews consistently highlights the same problem: the game simply doesn’t work. Unlike traditional review bombing campaigns, where scores are deliberately tanked for reasons unrelated to the product itself (e.g., controversial business practices or political stances), these reviews focus squarely on the game’s functionality—or lack thereof.

A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft

When players purchase a game, they expect it to perform as advertised. If a game becomes unplayable due to external factors—whether from a third-party update or a developer’s oversight—it’s not just fair but necessary for customers to leave honest reviews reflecting their experience. This feedback serves as a critical check, holding companies accountable and pushing for action to rectify these issues.

IGN’s insistence that this was a “review-bomb campaign” seems to point to a concentrated effort to shield a major AAA gaming studio while once again placing blame firmly at the feet of the paying customer. While it’s true that much of the fault for these issues lie with Microsoft, Ubisoft managed to correct issues pertaining to other titles before now. Its been two months and players are understandably frustrated.

YouTuber Endymion once summed up similar thoughts about IGN’s common tactics, saying “you can’t spell ignorant without IGN.”

A graph showing the declining market cap for Ubisoft as of 1/1/25 – CompaniesMarketCap.com

The timing of this backlash couldn’t be worse for Ubisoft. The company has been grappling with financial and operational challenges, including mass layoffs, studio closures, and a steep decline in market value. Once a titan of the gaming industry, Ubisoft’s market capitalization has plummeted from $12.17 billion in January 2021 to just $1.78 billion in January 2025—a staggering 85% drop.

The delayed release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws, and mounting debt have only worsened Ubisoft’s precarious position. Industry experts warn that if Shadows underperforms, Ubisoft could face bankruptcy by the end of the year.

Ubisoft’s ongoing struggles illustrate the delicate balance required to sustain goodwill in the gaming community. Players are more than willing to rally behind developers when treated fairly, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. But when technical failures go unresolved and communication breaks down, that goodwill evaporates.

A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018), Ubisoft

IGN’s classification of this situation as “review bombing” misses the mark and trivializes legitimate consumer grievances. These reviews are not an attack on Ubisoft but a plea for accountability, transparency, and resolution. Ignoring this distinction undermines the trust between players and the industry at large, setting a dangerous precedent for dismissing genuine feedback.

Honest criticism isn’t review bombing. It’s consumer advocacy. Ubisoft (and IGN) would do well to listen.

Do you think fans are “review bombing” Assassin’s Creed Origins? Is IGN running cover for Ubisoft over Assassin’s Creed Origins reviews? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know!