Assassin’s Creed Shadows might be a turning point for the series as a whole, as it embraces a new structure focused on that dual-character concept, but it is also a major moment for Ubisoft itself. Audiences are well aware of the struggles that the studio has faced. That’s why Assassin’s Creed Shadows had to pull something out of its sleeve to keep shocking players all over again. Luckily, its unique use of genre and the demonstration that the series can keep with the times were enough to do so.

For some reason, Assassin’s Creed is really the only series in video game history that can continue to be totally reinvented, across both genre and location, and still feel part of that wider continuity. Although the core mechanics might have shifted, and the ideas of the original game were altered, there is still a clear identity being observed and preserved throughout all of this.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Needed To Be a Success For Ubisoft

The Studio Is Looking For a Win

Ubisoft hasn’t had a very good track record as of late. While past Assassin’s Creed titles have performed remarkably well on the whole, the studio was still coming off the back of a series of misjudgments and failures. Star Wars Outlaws is a classic example. The company was well on its way to another success story, considering the Star Wars intellectual property is usually enough to sell any game. And yet, the first open-world title set in the galaxy far, far away failed to promote itself properly, nor did it quite deliver on the gameplay audiences were hoping for. It was a solid addition to the LucasFilm series, but not one that fans felt they had to buy at face value, nor one that they needed to play as soon as it came out.

Then there’s Skull & Bones, a pirate game that Ubisoft banked on after the success of Sea of Thieves. The game, of course, also drew some influence from Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag and attempted to portray an alternative style of high-seas gameplay, with intense ship battles and plenty of swashbuckling.

But again, the sales just didn’t go in the studio’s favor, and with fans not quite giving the title the word of mouth that the studio needed, Skull & Bones ultimately fell by the wayside, with many opting to play free versions of the game once available on Game Pass. Ubisoft had made another miscalculation, and this one proved itself to be damaging to the company’s reputation, stock and morale.

The studio is still looking for a major win, and early indications suggest that Assassin’s Creed Shadows might be it. But there is an argument to be made that it’s too little, too late. Ubisoft has already laid off a lot of its employees at the start of 2025 and seems to have no intention of expanding its team in the future. And it seems the partnership between LucasFilm and Ubisoft has come to an end, with no announcements of any future collaborations between the two teams.

It seems that what could have been a massive series for Ubisoft won’t even get a sequel, as Star Wars Outlaws takes a further toll on the company. It’s not all bad news. Ubisoft has a couple of titles on the way through 2025, both on mobile and console, with the Tom Clancy series getting an update. Anno 117 represents a change of pace for the studio too, with the real-time city-building game hoping to draw in a very different audience for the studio.

Despite all of this, a lot is riding specifically on Assassin’s Creed Shadows. For a long time, Assassin’s Creed has been the lifeblood of the company and a major contributor to its wider success. Luckily for Ubisoft, it may well be that Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ sales are enough to keep the lights on. What’s more, the game has been able to earn a different kind of reputation for the studio and the franchise as a whole, that no one expected.

The Game Is Entering New Territory

Comparisons Are Being Made To Other Samurai Hits

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is, surprisingly, a game that enters entirely new territory for Ubisoft. Despite the franchise going in every single direction, from Ancient Egypt and Rome, right up to the present day, it still hadn’t stepped into Japanese territory yet. However, this unique blend of classic Assassin’s Creed gameplay with a samurai-influenced twist shows that the franchise is able to move in new directions.

In fact, the game is taking massive risks by overhauling some of its core gameplay elements while also building a map that must be representative of the rich and beautiful culture that the game is conveying. Whenever a game takes some narrative chances, there’s sure to be backlash, and there was some controversy surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows concerning the historical accuracy of many of the game’s elements.

While some of this online noise involved unsavory parties engaging in purposefully hateful speech, there were also concerns from those who were connected with their Japanese heritage that the game might not represent that culture in the most faithful way. That put additional pressure on designers, who had to ensure that everything from the architecture to the clothing had to be grounded in authenticity. People really care about these important details, and Ubisoft could not allow the title to fail by taking its eye off the mark.

Whenever a game like this debuts, fans are quick to make some comparisons to other titles in the genre. Naturally, a game like this has to be compared to Ghost of Tsushima, which, right now, is one of the best titles available for exploring rich Japanese culture. From the combat to the visuals, the game was absolutely pitch perfect and really stands as a tough act to follow. Ubisoft has a habit of chasing trends, as Skull & Bones indicates.

There’s a chance that Assassin’s Creed Shadows only came along because of the popularity of Ghost of Tsushima, and again, Ubisoft deliberately entering that space means that it has to be prepared to face criticism for getting it wrong. However, by going down this path, into territory that had not been explored within the context of the franchise before, the series is ultimately showing that it can change.

Ubisoft made its biggest bet yet by assuring that not only would Assassin’s Creed Shadows perform well, but that it would thrive within its respective genre, time period and cultural setting. Assassin’s Creed Shadows perhaps had even more to prove than its predecessors, with Ubisoft in this difficult position, and despite courting controversy, the team plowed ahead. In doing so, they stumbled across the biggest trick they could have pulled off.

Assassin’s Creed’s Greatest Trick Is Its Ability To Evolve

No Other Gaming Series Can Do It Like This One

Even with the odds stacked against it, operating in hostile conditions and with the studio’s back up against the wall, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has come out fighting. It has cemented itself as a must-play title within the series for a couple of key reasons. Firstly, it’s a genuine blast, and the audience reaction, which will be broken down further later, speaks for itself. Secondly, it highlights just how Assassin’s Creed can keep on changing.

As has been alluded to earlier, the series has gone on quite the journey, always moving into new and unpredictable territory, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows ultimately indicates that there are no limits. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a perfect example of the sheer versatility of this series. Because that game won over the fan base again, returning to the core mechanics and tropes of the series after straying so far away from what the saga had been known as.

It set the stage for a bright and promising future for the IP, and although the sales were nowhere near where Ubisoft hoped they would be, the title’s overall performance indicated that Assassin’s Creed was on the right path. With the Assassin’s Creed Infinity platform also looming in the future, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows set to be a part of that, a lot was riding on the Japanese title’s release.

What’s amazing is that after Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the series has gone in another direction again, with a larger map, more ambitious storyline, and completely altered mechanics. And yet, it has also managed to keep many of the elements that worked in that prior title. So the series is able to adapt based on fan feedback, constantly evaluating, regardless of the culture, lore, or setting that influences the next release.

It’s that desire to keep pushing forward that ensures the player base returns, intrigued to see what else the series has in store. And that’s why Assassin’s Creed Shadows is so powerfully placed. Looking across the history of video gaming, there are almost no other franchises that just kept going in this manner. With no ongoing protagonist, no set formula, and no structure to speak of, Assassin’s Creed really is able to transform itself.

Ubisoft could have played it safe, returned to familiar territory and perhaps even revived the characters of the past. It’s almost shocking that Desmond Miles hasn’t been brought back to play a much larger role in some capacity. But Assassin’s Creed Shadows stuck to what makes this series so vibrant and exciting, andit is all the better for it.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Could Draw In New Fans

Reactions Suggest That Its Genre Storytelling Is Exceptional

In the first two days of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game hit over two million players; the title outperformed Star Wars Outlaws in three days. It is topping the charts both domestically and internationally, with markets like the UK and Europe absolutely loving the game. While there have been a few alterations needed, to comply with the desires of the Japanese government and to avoid real-world issues, the game has been a massive hit for Ubisoft.

That’s not to mention the reviews, which have been largely positive across the board. Although there is a small percentage of the player base who believe that the game could have done more with the opportunities presented, at the very least, fans feel like this is a solid addition to the franchise. It’s also a sign that Ubisoft is able to move into new spaces despite experience within them.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows stands apart from the rest of the franchise as a great starting point, especially for those players who have already engaged in similar titles. The game’s desire to risk it all and go in a different direction means that new players are being brought on board, which is a miracle this far into a series’ run.

Shadows’ performance teaches Ubisoft a couple of key lessons. Firstly, the initial response to a game, positive or negative, might not define its future. Despite controversies in the build-up, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has sold incredibly well. Secondly, franchises will not be rewarded for replaying their greatest hits. This title does not feel like Ubisoft’s past releases, and that is to its benefit. And thirdly, a quality title can turn around any studio’s fate, regardless of what came before.

While it won’t be enough to fix every problem that Ubisoft faces, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has brought short-term financial gain and long-term reputational benefits. Assassin’s Creed, the studio’s most important IP, has been protected and expanded upon. Its versatility cannot be denied, and the franchise’s trick, to show fans that it is indestructible due to its ability to change, will continue to be its greatest asset.