Ubisoft has found its redemption arc, and it wears a stylish hood. Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the newest member of the long-running franchise, launched on March 20, 2025, and wasted no time in making itself at home at the top of the UK charts. Assassin’s Creed Shadows sold more physical copies than Star Wars: Outlaws, another Ubisoft game released in August 2024, managed in three months. That’s going to sting!
A Record-Breaking Start
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the current reigning champion for the UK’s biggest physical game launch of 2025, even steamrolling the fan favorite, Monster Hunter Wilds. Though Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in 2020 still outperformed it by 63%, Ubisoft hasn’t had a game come close to that amount of sales. This is especially amazing as the market has been trending away from physical sales for quite a while now. So, that kind of debut is a rare sight in today’s gaming landscape, but its giving a clear message: the Assassin’s Creed brand is still a top dog in the gaming world. Not going to lie, I was worried for a while there.
Meanwhile, in a Galaxy…That’s Close
Star Wars: Outlaws was supposed to be a big deal. The newest installment in one of the grander game franchises. Instead, it went the way of the Jedi Order after the Chancellor’s machinations, as it only sold 81,000 units in four months in the UK. Assassin’s Creed Shadows matched that, and then some, in seven days.
Not just in sales, no. The reception told a similar story. Where Outlaws had lukewarm reviews and was criticized for technical issues and lack of originality, Assasssin’s Creed Shadows were on the other end of the spectrum. With dual protagonists, smooth combat, and an amazing feudal Japan setting, it hit all the right spots with fans and critics.
Final Thoughts
Ubisoft needed this win. After Outlaws tanked, the company’s revenue took a massive hit. Which, not good! With the spotlight on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and its early success, it became a lifeboat for the company. Assassin’s Creed Shadows gives players two different gameplay perspectives, shinobi and samurai, which added depth, varity, and replayability that Outlaws was not able to deliver on.
This gap between Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Star Wars: Outlaws proves that just having the name is useless if the execution isn’t done right. Here’s to hoping that Ubisoft keeps this momentum going. For now, assassins reign supreme!
