Assassin’s Creed Shadows publisher Ubisoft has responded to the leak of story details and gameplay footage from its upcoming samurai stabathon, a month ahead of the game’s release date.
This past weekend, photos posted online showed several fans now had access to early physical copies of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, while others claimed to have briefly been able to download a digital version of the game from the PlayStation Store.
Chunks of gameplay footage are now easily findable online, even as Ubisoft battles to remove the videos. Other fans have posted summaries of their time with the game so far, including story spoilers. And there’s still weeks to go until Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ 20th March launch date.
“We are aware players have accessed Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its official release,” Ubisoft said in a message from the Assassin’s Creed community team, posted to reddit.
“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.”
Physical copies of the game were likely manufactured weeks if not months ago, while Ubisoft will continue to issue patches up to and beyond the game’s street date in March. That said, fans report not seeing too many issues with the game so far.
“Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players,” Ubisoft’s statement continues. “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! 20th March will be here soon!”
It’s been a long wait for Assassin’s Creed fans, after repeated delays from the game’s original launch date late last year. Shadows is the first new Assassin’s Creed game since 2023’s Mirage, which was originally planned as an expansion for 2020’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
The game’s launch comes amidst a pivotal few months for Ubisoft, as the company looks poised to be sold or taken private, and the threat of further layoffs loom.
Eurogamer’s Katharine Castle recently reported back after playing six hours of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, calling it the biggest shake-up of the series in years.
