Ubisoft Responds to Assassin's Creed Shadows Leak

On February 24th, reports surfaced of an online leak of Assassin's Creed Shadows, with numerous individuals streaming gameplay a month before its official March 20th release. The GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit highlighted now-deleted social media posts showcasing the game's premature physical distribution and unauthorized streams on platforms like Twitch.

Ubisoft, the developer and publisher, acknowledged the leak on the Assassin's Creed subreddit, urging players to refrain from spoiling the experience for others. They stated that the development team is finalizing patches, and that currently available online footage doesn't reflect the game's final quality. Ubisoft emphasized the negative impact of leaks on player anticipation and thanked the community for their efforts in mitigating spoilers. They concluded with a plea to avoid spoilers and promised further official announcements in the coming weeks, leading up to the March 20th launch.

This leak compounds existing challenges for Ubisoft and its flagship Assassin's Creed franchise. The team previously apologized for unauthorized use of a historical recreation group's flag and for historical inaccuracies in the game's depiction of Japan. Assassin's Creed Shadows' release date has been shifted multiple times, initially slated for November, then February 14th, and finally settling on March 20th. The game's success is crucial for Ubisoft, which has faced disappointing sales figures for recent titles and negative investor reaction.