On February 24, we brought you the news that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had unfortunately leaked online, with numerous individuals streaming the game a full month before its official release on March 20. Over the weekend, the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit highlighted now-deleted social media posts that showcased physical copies of the game being sold prematurely, alongside multiple streams of the unreleased title appearing on platforms such as Twitch.
In response to these leaks, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher behind the game, 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 experience 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 expressed their disappointment, noting, "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."
Ubisoft encouraged fans to "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 represent another challenge for Ubisoft and its flagship Assassin's Creed series. The development team has previously had to issue apologies for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan.
Originally slated for a November release, Assassin's Creed Shadows saw its launch date pushed back first to February 14, and then to the current release date of March 20. With struggling Ubisoft needing it to perform well after disappointing sales of other recent titles and facing investor backlash, the success of this game is more crucial than ever.
