Ubisoft

According to a report from Sodoku Online, Ubisoft’s upcoming next Assassin’s Creed installment, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is the most anticipated game globally. It’s definitely been one of the most talked-about games since its reveal trailer in May 2024, due to the choice of one of its playable protagonists being a Black samurai. Since then, Ubisoft has been facing backlash and heavy pressure from a certain subset of the gaming community. There’s also the fact that Ubisoft has been struggling as a whole, facing studio closures, major layoffs, and the shutdown of its in-house live-service game, XDefiant.

Many in the industry are viewing Assassin’s Creed Shadows as a make-or-break release for Ubisoft. This build of anticipation is also because the game has faced more than one delay since its announcement. Initially slated for release in Nov. 2024, Ubisoft announced in September that the game would be delayed to Feb. 2025 for further polishing. In Jan. 2025, Ubisoft announced that the game would once again be delayed, to Mar. 2025, as part of a strategic move to capitalize on profit for the game, as well as to implement further changes to the game.

How Was Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Anticipation Measured?

Sudoku Online Looked at Google Analytics to Put Together This Report

Assassin's Creed Shadows promo art shows its dual protagonists: Yasuke and Naoe.Image via Ubisoft

Sudoku Online looked at the Google search volumes for over 5,000 games in all 50 U.S. states, as well as the top 25 countries by GDP (Gross domestic product). The Google search volume for Assassin’s Creed Shadows came out on top globally, being the most-searched game in 17 out of the 25 countries. Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘s average global monthly search volume topped the charts at 165,000, with Monster Hunter Wilds trailing in second with 135,000.

The U.S. was not part of those 17 countries that have Assassin’s Creed Shadows as their most anticipated game, with Borderlands 4 being the top-searched upcoming game in 19 out of 50 states. Outside upcoming games, the most Googled game in the U.S. is Fortnite, topping the charts with an average monthly search volume of 2,740,000.

The report from Sudoku Online came with plenty of interesting analytics for gamers to take a look at, but a game with such a rocky journey as Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ being the most globally-anticipated game is sure to pique many gamers’ interest.