Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ launch has been a success, but comparisons to Valhalla don’t tell the full story. Find out why that’s the case.

With the challenges Ubisoft has faced in recent years, all eyes were on Assassin’s Creed Shadows for its launch. The game had a big hole to fill, and it certainly did. The player reception has been fairly positive, which resulted in one of the best launches for the franchise.

Naturally, comparisons to other titles began, not only with other recent games but also within the Assassin’s Creed series. Some fans and critics are comparing Shadows and Valhalla, particularly regarding Valhalla‘s better early success.

The game was released with a positive reception. | Image Credit: Ubisoft

However, Ubisoft has made it clear that such comparisons are not fair, and for a simple reason: the circumstances surrounding the releases of these 2 games are drastically different.

Why the timeline matters for Assassin’s Creed Shadows

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When Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was launched in November 2020, the world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdowns in place across the globe, millions of players were confined to their homes, resulting in a surge in video game sales.

To further boost its appeal, Valhalla was released alongside the new generation of consoles, the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. This “perfect storm” of factors led to the game’s massive success, even though its initial reviews were mixed.

In contrast, Shadows launched is a much more typical release cycle with no pandemic and no new console releases to generate additional hype. Still, the game’s launch has been well-received, selling over 2 million copies in its launch period.

So, when it was revealed in an internal email (via IGN) that Ubisoft emphasized that it was unfair to compare Shadows directly with Valhalla, it’s not an attempt to hide its shortcomings; it was a valid evaluation.

Valhalla launched under extraordinary conditions […] It was a perfect storm we may never see again.

Ubisoft further suggests that a more accurate comparison for Shadows would be to look at other titles released in typical cycles, like Odyssey and Mirage. Compared to them, Shadows is definitely doing a better job, setting a new high for the series.

The waiting game for a real financial picture starts now

The financial status of the game is still not known. | Image Credit: Ubisoft

We can compare titles all day, but one thing is clear: releasing Assassin’s Creed Shadows Day 1 on Steam was a great move. In the internal emails, it was also revealed that around 27% of total sales were on PC, and Valve’s platform played a huge role.

All signs are pointing towards a promising result, but the true measure of its success will ultimately be revealed in Ubisoft’s next financial report.

Sure, player engagement and reception are important, but the game’s revenue will determine whether it can help stabilize Ubisoft’s crumbling position in the market, especially given the recent rumors of buyout floating in the air.

While comparisons to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are a very tempting discussion to be a part of, the different conditions under which the two games were released make such comparisons less meaningful.

In conclusion, for now, we have to wait for official financial results to get the full picture of how Shadows is performing in the competitive gaming landscape.