Ubisoft’s announcement to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows to 2025 has set the stage for a launch in the same year as Ghost of Yotei. However, the company has reassured investors and fans that they are not concerned about Sucker Punch’s upcoming title.
Shortly after Ghost of Yotei was unveiled during a recent State of Play presentation, Ubisoft disclosed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows would be pushed back from its original release date of November 15, 2024, to February 14, 2025. The developers cited the need for “additional time to further polish the title” and to incorporate “learnings” from the less-than-stellar performance of Star Wars Outlaws.
This delay raised eyebrows, especially since Shadows has often been compared unfavorably to Ghost of Tsushima. Ubisoft executives are working to alleviate investor and industry analyst concerns about this competition.
Naoe is one of the two protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
As reported by Stephen Totilo, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot addressed concerns about potential negative impacts of the new Ghost game on AC Shadows, stating, “There’s a lot of space for very high-quality games, and those two games can sell very well.”
During a conference call, CFO Frederick Duguet highlighted the distinct dual protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows as a competitive edge over Ghost of Yotei. He stated, “Our focus is to ensure we deliver a fantastic experience with this dual protagonist approach with different and complementary gameplay, featuring Yasuke and Naoe, set in feudal Japan, which should be truly enticing.”
Duguet further confirmed the reasoning behind the game’s delay, emphasizing, “All our focus and considerations inform our decision to polish the game and deliver on its fantastic promise.”
In contrast to Shadows, which allows players to switch between a samurai and a shinobi, Ghost of Yotei revolves around a single protagonist, a woman named Atsu. If it follows Ghost of Tsushima‘s model, she will likely start with basic samurai skills and later learn stealth techniques to transform into the Ghost.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows might also benefit from its release timing. While Ghost of Yotei is projected for a 2025 launch, it is likely to be closer to the holiday season, affording Shadows ample opportunity to establish its presence in the gaming market.
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