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Assassin’s Creed Shadows: What Ubisoft’s Launch Records and the 27% PC Figure Really Mean

Ubisoft called Shadows its record day-one performer on the PlayStation digital store, but ranked its franchise launch revenue second behind Valhalla. The 27% figure refers to PC activations across distribution channels—not Steam’s share of sales.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows did not set a disclosed Steam sales record. Ubisoft reported that the game had the second-highest day-one sales revenue in Assassin’s Creed history, behind Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and set a Ubisoft record for day-one performance on the PlayStation digital store. The separate 27% figure refers to PC activations across distribution channels—not Steam’s share of sales.

What Ubisoft actually said about the launch

In its FY2024–25 results, Ubisoft said Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched on March 20, 2025, and delivered the franchise’s second-highest day-one sales revenue, behind Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Ubisoft also said Shadows set a new record for its day-one performance on the PlayStation digital store. The company did not publish an exact day-one revenue amount or unit-sales total in that statement. Ubisoft FY2024–25 results, hosted by Stuff.

Was it Ubisoft’s biggest PlayStation launch?

Ubisoft described Shadows as its new day-one record on the PlayStation digital store. That is a store-performance claim by Ubisoft; it does not establish a record across all PlayStation games or disclose the number of copies sold there. “PSN” is often used informally, but “PlayStation digital store” is the more precise wording in the company’s statement.

Was Shadows’ launch bigger than Valhalla’s?

Not on the metric Ubisoft reported: Valhalla remains ahead for day-one sales revenue, with Shadows ranked second. This does not compare unit sales, total lifetime revenue, player counts, or the games’ performance on any single platform. Ubisoft offered no exact day-one revenue or unit figure in the cited results.

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#1 Best Overall
Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive), PlayStation 5
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What the 27% figure means—and what it does not

GameSpot reported that an internal Ubisoft email shown to IGN attributed 27% of Shadows’ total “activations” to PC across several distribution channels. That is not a disclosure that Steam accounted for 27% of sales. The report says Steam played a major role in PC performance, but the cited passage gives no Steam-only share. GameSpot’s report on the 27% figure.

“Activations” should not be silently converted into “sales” or “copies sold.” The figure is attributed to an internal email through secondary reporting, rather than presented as an audited platform-by-platform sales breakdown. It supports a limited statement about the share attributed to PC activations across channels, not a precise Steam split.

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How to read the other launch figures

Ubisoft also reported an average score of 91/100 across first-party stores and 160 million hours played at the reporting point in its FY2024–25 results. The score’s footnote identifies PlayStation, Xbox, Epic, and Steam stores as inputs. These are company-reported reception and engagement measures; neither establishes the number of copies sold.

  • Day-one revenue ranking: Shadows was second in franchise history, behind Valhalla.
  • PlayStation store performance: Ubisoft said Shadows set its day-one record on the PlayStation digital store.
  • PC activations: 27% was attributed to PC across distribution channels in the email described by GameSpot.
  • Store score and playtime: Ubisoft reported 91/100 and 160 million hours at its stated reporting point; these are not sales totals.
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What later financial reporting adds

In its July 23, 2026 Q1 FY2026–27 report, Ubisoft said the year-on-year decrease in net bookings mainly reflected a high comparison base: Q1 FY2025–26 included significant bookings from Shadows following its March 2025 release. That indicates the game remained material to Ubisoft’s financial comparisons, but it is not a revised total-sales disclosure. Ubisoft financial information and results.

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Rank #3
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Assassin's Creed Shadows [PlayStation 5]
  • Experience an epic, historical action adventure in feudal Japan and become a deadly Shinobi assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open game world in chaotic times
  • Sneak as a Naoe to not be discovered, use your agility to confuse your opponents and stretch down your opponents with deadly precision and power as a Yasuke
  • Use information as weapons and build your own spy network to have eyes and ears everywhere and find your targets easier and recruit new allies on the go with unique skills to help you with your missions
  • Create a fully customizable hideaway for your growing Shinobi league, where you train recruits, craft new equipment and interact with important characters; set the room layout, decoration and accessories yourself

GameSpot also reported Ubisoft’s view that Valhalla benefited from pandemic-era stay-at-home conditions and the arrival of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This is Ubisoft’s explanation as reported by GameSpot, not a quantified finding that isolates the effect of those market conditions.

Quick Recap

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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