Why did Ubisoft delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows again? Reasons explained

Ubisoft has announced another delay for its much-anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The video game was originally set to launch in November 2024. Then it was first pushed to February 14, 2025, and now, it has been officially delayed further to March 20, 2025.

Fans and industry insiders have been quick to speculate on the reasons behind this decision by the studio. Ubisoft has also shared its take on the causes.

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Ubisoft’s official reasons for the Assassin’s Creed Shadows delay

In its announcements, Ubisoft cited two main reasons for delaying the Assassin’s Creed Shadows: community feedback, and ensuring a smooth launch.

The French gaming brand has stated that feedback from gamers who previewed the game over the past few months has been invaluable for the brand. The development team aims to incorporate this feedback to deliver an experience that meets expectations, the studio says. However, the specifics of these feedbacks have not been detailed.

On another note, the company also mentioned its wish to create the best conditions for Assassin’s Creed Shadows' release. This is believed to refer to technical optimizations and bug fixes that were reported previously.

Ubisoft faced criticism for the buggy launch of Star Wars Outlaws in 2024, which hurt sales and the brand's market presence. The extra months for Assassin’s Creed Shadows' development appear to be a precautionary step to avoid a repeat of that scenario. Some fans also echo the same notion.

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A netizen shared on X:

"They can’t suffer another underperforming game. They gotta get it right. Hope they do."

"I'm annoyed for selfish reasons but this should benefit the game...", remarked another well-wisher.

"Well I'm OK with that. It's not that big of a delay for us, and it can make a huge difference on the games quality.", noted a third.

"February was always a crazy decision. I'm looking forward to Shadows and will definitely buy it but I'm not thinking about buying anything but Wilds right now. Even if Shadows was coming first, I don't want to start a game that huge just to put it down two weeks later.", declared a fourth.

From another aspect, is Ubisoft trying to avoid competition?

Gaming industry analysts have speculated that the delay is not just about the feedback received from testers, but also about timing. February 2025 is packed with major game releases, including:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (February 4, 2025)
Civilization VII (February 11, 2025)
Avowed (February 18, 2025)
Monster Hunter Wilds (February 28, 2025)

By pushing Assassin’s Creed Shadows to March, Ubisoft avoids a head-to-head battle with these heavyweight and highly anticipated titles. The new release window allows the brand to release the new game in a more favorable environment, with less competition from other fan-loved titles.

Additionally, the delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes during a challenging period for Ubisoft. In 2024, the company faced notably underwhelming sales for major titles like Star Wars Outlaws, and disappointing performances from Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Skull & Bones.

Ubisoft also shut down its online shooter XDefiant, closed three studios, and announced plans to cut costs by over $200 million by FY 2025-26.

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Hence, the stakes are high for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As a flagship title in a fan-favorite franchise, it needs to perform well both critically and commercially to bolster Ubisoft’s standing.