Final 12 months, Murderer’s Creed Shadows grew to become a goal for right-wing tradition warriors starting from random shareholders to Elon Musk. In a latest video proven at Paris Video games Week, Ubisoft reportedly tried to take again possession of the narrative surrounding the assaults and show a possible playbook for coping with haters on-line. How a lot of it’s simply spin stays to be seen, but it surely’s an uncommon transfer for an organization that normally shrinks from controversy.
The video’s existence was reported by Game File, together with a partial transcription of what it stated and extra feedback from CEO Yves Guillemot after it was proven to gaming business members throughout an occasion on the convention. The transient presentation detailed the corporate’s model of occasions, positioning the sport’s sudden delay final 12 months as a daring transfer.
As an alternative of shying away from criticisms lobbed from sure corners of the web that Ubisoft was “virtue signaling” by that includes the story of African samurai Yasuke, it doubled down on sprucing the sport and highlighting the weather that made it Murderer’s Creed. So the idea goes, anyway.
Ubisoft has stopped sharing gross sales knowledge with Circana who reviews the software program & {hardware} gross sales within the us.
First picture the highest promoting video games of 2025 as of June together with AC Shadows, second picture prime promoting video games of 2025 as of July with out Shadows.
Mat from Circana confirmed this pic.twitter.com/4WuKoSgRhP
— JorRaptor (@Jorraptor) August 27, 2025
“With our allies beside us, we found confidence again: To stand tall, to take risks, to speak up, even against the loudest haters,” the narrator of the advertising video says, in accordance with Recreation File. “And by the time Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched, thanks to our fans, momentum was finally on our side.”
Guillemot elaborated on the pivot in a dialog afterwards. “We were initially surprised by the extent of the attacks,” he stated, in accordance with Game File‘s translation. “And we quickly realized that it was a battle, a battle with our fans, to demonstrate that we were, in fact, more of a video game than a message.”
Murderer’s Creed Shadows‘ sales figures are in stealth mode
It’s an echo of one thing the cofounder stated shortly after saying the sport’s delay. “I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment-first company, creating games for the broadest possible audience, and our goal is not to push any specific agenda,” he instructed buyers final 12 months in an obvious try to beat the allegations of the corporate’s worst critics. Game File also reported that the corporate canceled an Murderer’s Creed set in post-Civil Struggle America over considerations about political unrest.
Ubisoft did hit again at critics earlier this 12 months. The official Murderer’s Creed account dunked on one of the most high-profile social media accounts main a marketing campaign in opposition to the sport. However builders engaged on the sport have been reportedly also advised to not put up about Murderer’s Creed Shadows‘ release to avoid becoming a target of the harassment campaign.
How has this all worked out for Ubisoft? It’s exhausting to inform. Shadows was effectively reviewed at launch and offered effectively in its first few months. It was the third top-grossing recreation within the U.S. as of June, however Ubisoft has stopped sharing public gross sales knowledge within the months since and hasn’t formally confirmed exact sales figures. It will need to have been joyful sufficient with the outcomes to maneuver forward with different delays. Ubisoft instructed buyers earlier this 12 months {that a} slate of unannounced upcoming blockbusters would take longer than expected to ship.
