Assassin’s Creed Shadows Delay will “change” the Ubisoft narrative

Key Takeaways

Assassin’s Creed Shadows was delayed until 2025 in response to feedback and fallout from Star Wars Outlaw.
Now, in a new conversation, Ubisoft’s Marc-Alexis Coté discussed the importance of the delay, not only for the game, but also for changing the narrative about Ubisoft.
He discussed how there’s only one chance to release a game, so it’s important that Shadows sticks the landing on day one.

When Ubisoft decided to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows until 2025 after the poor initial response to Star Wars Outlaws, it was a shock. Despite the false outrage over Yasuke, the game seemed largely complete, and Ubisoft agreed.

That said, while Ubisoft agreed that the game was “complete,” it confirmed in a release that the delay “will allow the biggest entry in the franchise to fully realize its ambition, particularly through the promise of to make our adventure come true with two protagonists. with Naoe and Yasuke bringing two very different gameplay styles.”

Now, Ubisoft’s Marc-Alexis Coté, the head of Assassin’s Creed, discussed the importance of delaying Shadows in a new conversation. In particular, Coté discussed how the move is important for the future of Ubisoft as a whole.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows cannot remove Yasuke with this delay

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A lot rides on shadows

Coté said the following at a BAFTA event attended and transcribed by Eurogamer:

“Players can afford to be selective and choose only the best, and they rightly demand excellence. Ubisoft’s portfolio has been criticized in recent years due to a perceived inconsistency in quality.”

While Ubisoft games are largely big sellers, they are often criticized for feeling very samey in their approach. The Ubisoft ‘open world’ formula has become something of a meme in the greater gaming community, leading to some fatigue.

And so, according to Coté, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows represents our opportunity to change that narrative, not just for Assassin’s Creed, but I think for Ubisoft as a whole.”

The hope that a strong release for Shadows can help change the narrative on Ubisoft is one of the reasons Coté asked for the delay. “Our playtesting and team feedback made it clear that Shadows had huge potential, but I felt we needed more time to ensure it fully met the high expectations of our players,” he said.

The delay of Shadows not only changed the release date, but also the entire model of the game. There will no longer be a season pass included and all players will receive the first expansion for free. Not only that, but Early Access has also been eliminated and Steam will host the Day 1 release, breaking previous tradition.

“We only have one chance to launch this game, and it has to exceed those expectations,” Coté said. And he’s not wrong. Those initial first impressions are crucial and will undoubtedly influence players’ choices. Only time will tell if Ubisoft’s decision ultimately sticks the landing. However, one thing is clear: they are going to do everything they can to change the way people view Ubisoft.