Ubisoft’s decision to push Assassin’s Creed Shadows to 2025 means it will launch in the same year as Ghost of Yotei, but the company has assured investors and fans that it’s not worried about Sucker Punch’s game.
Just a day after Ghost of Yotei was announced during a State of Play, Ubisoft revealed it would be delaying Assassin’s Creed Shadows from November 15, 2024, to February 14, 2025. The developer explained they needed “additional time to further polish the title” and incorporate “learnings” from Star Wars Outlaws after that game underperformed.
The delay sparked concerns in light of Sucker Punch’s reveal, as Shadows has frequently been compared to Ghost of Tsushima, often in ways that are unfavorable to Ubisoft’s long-running franchise.
In light of those concerns, Ubisoft executives are trying to reassure investors and industry analysts that they aren’t worried about the competition.
As reported by Stephen Totilo, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot was asked if he was concerned that the new Ghost game would have a negative impact on AC Shadow and said, “There’s a lot of space for very high-quality games, and those two games can sell very well.”
In a conference call, CFO Frederick Duguet responded to a similar question by highlighting Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s dual protagonists as a key difference from Ghost of Yotei.
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“On the competition related to Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the focus really is to make sure we deliver a fantastic experience with this dual protagonist approach with different and complementary gameplay, with Yasuke and Naoe, in the setting taking place in this feudal Japan, which should be really enticing,” said Duguet.
He also reiterated Ubisoft’s reasons for the delay, adding “All the focus and everything that really informs our decision is to make sure that we polish the game and provide this fantastic promise.”
Unlike Shadows, which lets plays swap between a samurai and a shinobi, Ghost of Yotei focuses on a single protagonist, a woman named Atsu. Assuming the game follows Ghost of Tsushima’s precedent, she’ll likely start out with traditional samurai skills before learning more underhanded tactics to become the Ghost.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows may also have timing on its side. Though Ghost of Yotei has a 2025 release window, it’s expected to release closer to the holiday season, giving Shadows plenty of time to make its mark.
