Ubisoft Addresses Assassin's Creed Shadows Leak

On February 24, we reported a significant leak involving Assassin’s Creed Shadows, with multiple individuals streaming the game online a full month before its intended release on March 20. Over the weekend, as highlighted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, social media posts—now deleted—revealed that physical copies of the game were being sold before the official street date, and numerous streams of the unreleased title surfaced on platforms like Twitch.

In response to the leak, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher of the game, issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They acknowledged that some players had gained early access to Assassin’s Creed Shadows and emphasized that the development team was still finalizing patches to ensure the game's quality at launch. Ubisoft stated, "The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch, and any footage shared online does not represent the final quality of the game."

Ubisoft expressed their disappointment over the leaks, noting, "Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players." They urged the community to refrain from spoiling the experience for others, thanking fans for their efforts to prevent spoilers. The company encouraged everyone to "Stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers, and keep an eye on our channel for more official surprises in the coming weeks! March 20 will be here soon!"

These leaks add to Ubisoft's challenges with the Assassin's Creed series. The development team previously apologized for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan. Originally slated for a November release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows saw its launch date shifted first to February 14, and then to the current release date of March 20. Amidst struggling Ubisoft's need for a successful launch following disappointing sales of other recent titles and investor backlash, the stakes are high for this latest installment.