Ubisoft Addresses Assassin's Creed Shadows Leak

On February 24, we reported that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had leaked online, with numerous individuals streaming the game a month before its official release date on March 20. Over the weekend, as noted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, now-deleted social media posts revealed that physical copies of the game were being sold ahead of its street date, and multiple streams of the unreleased title surfaced on platforms like Twitch.

In response to these leaks, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They confirmed their awareness of the issue and urged players to refrain from spoiling the game for others. "We are aware players have accessed Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its official release. The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch, and any footage shared online does not represent the final quality of the game," Ubisoft stated.

They further emphasized the negative impact of leaks on player excitement, saying, "Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players. We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others. Thank you to our community for already taking steps to protect everyone from spoilers. Stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers, and keep an eye on our channel for more official surprises in the coming weeks! March 20 will be here soon!"

These leaks are a significant setback for Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed franchise. The development team has previously faced criticism for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan. Originally set for a November release, the game's launch was postponed to February 14 and then further delayed to the current release date of March 20. With struggling Ubisoft needing it to perform well amid disappointing sales of other recent titles and investor backlash, the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crucial.