“Glad they’re taking the time”: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Delay Is the Last Chance for Ubisoft and Its Fans Alike
Assassin's Creed Shadows' new release date may be a final effort from Ubisoft to save its failing reputation in the aftermath of its unsuccessful projects.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows has been delayed to February 2025 from its earlier release window of November 2024.
- Fans of the upcoming addition to the popular franchise hope that it is Ubisoft's attempt at salvaging its reputation following a string of underwhelming titles.
- Ubisoft will hope that it can recapture the magic of its past with the new addition to Assassin's Creed, which has been a largely successful franchise for the studio.
Ubisoft faces a troubling time ahead in the aftermath of multiple underwhelming releases that have seen its reputation tumble down in the eyes of its investors and fans alike. However, many players speculate that the reason for its recent postponement of Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be an attempt to salvage that reputation by making improvements to the game to ensure its success.
Considering that Shadows takes its players to an era of history that has been long-requested by fans of the popular franchise, the studio may be looking to build on the anticipation of its upcoming flagship title to begin a journey towards its own redemption.
Can Naoe and Yasuke Lead Ubisoft’s Charge Towards a Second Chance?
Ubisoft’s troubles with an unsuccessful performance by XDefiant have only been compounded after the underwhelming performance of Star Wars Outlaws, a title that the studio may have hoped would build on the popularity of the iconic franchise with a gameplay loop that would keep its players engaged and delighted considering its source material.
However, things have not gone as the studio may have hoped, leaving Assassin’s Creed Shadows in charge of bringing its disgruntled fans and investors back into the fold with a release that sees Assassins Naoe and Yasuke present an interesting contrast between shinobi and samurai in the first title since Assassin’s Creed Syndicate to feature dual protagonists with varying approaches to combat.
Is Ubisoft Worried About Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Potential?
The decision to pull out of Tokyo Game Show may have been a clever move on Ubisoft’s part considering the precarious situation it has placed itself in with Assassin’s Creed Shadows being a title that it must pin its hopes on in order to recapture the magic of its glory days with earlier installments in the franchise.
That sentiment is perhaps shared by its fans, who have taken to Reddit to express the hope that the delay could result in a title that is well-realized and delivers on the promise of an unforgettable trek to ancient Japan, with its lead characters bringing deadly skills and noble intentions to the table in equal measure.
Another player believes that the delay is a good thing for the game since it indicates that Ubisoft is placing its players at the top of its list of priorities, which could be a great way to move forward from the mistakes of its past while ignoring those whose complaints hardly belong in the discourse of modern gaming.
However, others believe that the studio could face further backlash from a community that does not easily forget its string of mistakes in recent times while it could also face challenges from other highly anticipated titles from studios that are not troubled by the problems it currently faces.
Time will tell if Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the title that helps Ubisoft break out of the rut it has placed itself in while its fans eagerly wait to dive into its recreation of feudal Japan with glee when the game releases in February 2025.
