On February 24, we reported that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had been 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 game appeared on platforms like Twitch.
In response to the leak, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher, has issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They confirmed their awareness of the situation and urged players to refrain from spoiling the experience for others. Ubisoft stated, "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."
They further emphasized the negative impact of leaks, 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."
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 setback for Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed franchise. The development team previously had to apologize 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, Assassin's Creed Shadows was first delayed to February 14, and then again to the current release date of March 20. With a struggling Ubisoft needing it to perform well after disappointing sales of other recent titles and facing investor backlash, the game's success is crucial.
