The long-awaited Assassin’s Creed Shadows will become available in less than two weeks. While this should be a momentous occasion, the road to the game’s release has been marked by several massive delays and controversies. Additionally, the game will arrive during Ubisoft’s ongoing downfall. However, fans and gamers can still expect many more surprises and prizes, as Steam has unveiled several collectibles for the upcoming game, including trading cards and badges. Here is a breakdown of Ubisoft’s current state and upcoming game, Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Steam Collectibles
According to Steam, Ubisoft’s upcoming game Assassin’s Creed Shadows received several collectibles in anticipation of its release. Most major Steam games offer badges, trading cards, and collectibles to reward player investment. For Shadows, this includes nine trading cards, icons, emojis, and backgrounds featuring the game’s locale. Regardless of the game’s quality, many can agree on the upcoming title’s gorgeous art direction for Feudal Japan. The trading cards will feature the lead duo and their recruitable allies.
Assassin’s Creed’s iconography has become a significant selling point as a tentpole franchise, and it’s been adapted across dozens of historical eras. As the announcement describes, players can only earn half of the trading cards individually and must trade with other players to complete the set. These Steam cards can be crafted into badges for players, earning them emotes and other rewards.
The Game’s Turbulent Path
Few Assassin’s Creed games have had the same controversial, rough path to release as Shadows. In many ways, the Shinobi of Feudal Japan should harmoniously blend with the tropes of Assassin’s Creed. However, controversies arose around the game based on historical accuracy, cultural debates, and Ubisoft’s practices. Not helping matters was the series of sudden and huge delays, which drew heavy skepticism from fans.
Very often, “development hell” is a bad omen for games because the original vision is diluted by too many creators coming and going from the project. Before Shadows, later Assassin’s Creed games became controversial due to an alleged move toward bloated action RPGs. As such, it’s unlikely that these collectibles will make or break Shadows’ success. The game will launch on PC and consoles on March 20.
Ubisoft’s Hail Mary
Beyond Shadows, Ubisoft might be in dire straits. Some of their recent games, like Star Wars: Outlaws, were seen as commercial flops, while XDefiant barely lasted a year. Months earlier, Ubisoft laid off hundreds of staff members and closed several offices across the UK, leaving the company’s future ambiguous. Confounding this, the company entered talks to sell itself. As such, many predict this upcoming game might lead to more trouble.
Recently, Ubisoft held a massive sale on Steam, offering many of its biggest games at a hefty discount, with many at 90% off. This sale, alongside the trading cards and badges mentioned earlier, increased the company’s focus on building rapport with Steam users. While this made many games more accessible to a broader audience, some onlookers may have seen it as a desperate attempt to keep their fans’ attention.
Conclusion
With the approach of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, storefronts and gamers alike are bracing for the moment of truth. As such, Steam has offered a wave of collectibles to entice players to purchase and share the game. However, the surrounding controversy may have soured the game for many. With Ubisoft’s library and management in its current state, many fans have grown worried about the franchise’s future. In the end, fans must see how this latest chapter advances the series’ story. Hopefully, these collectibles will help remind fans why they enjoyed the original franchise.
