People Are Streaming Assassin's Creed Shadows a Month Ahead of Its Official Release Date

Assassin’s Creed Shadows, slated for release on March 20, 2025, has suffered a significant leak. Social media posts, now removed, showcased gameplay and images, allegedly from a copy purchased through an online marketplace. Further fueling the leak, now-deleted listings on a U.S. auction site showed multiple copies selling for $100 each. Multiple Twitch streams featuring the game have also emerged, though they are being swiftly taken down. IGN has reached out to Ubisoft for comment.

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This leak presents a significant challenge for Ubisoft, a company already facing considerable difficulties with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Despite the troubled development and marketing, Ubisoft recently claimed strong preorder numbers, comparing them favorably to Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expressed confidence, highlighting positive early previews praising the narrative, immersive experience, dual protagonist approach, and overall gameplay. He commended the development team's dedication to delivering the franchise's most ambitious title yet.

The game's release has been plagued by delays. Initially planned for November, it was pushed back to February 14th, and subsequently to its current March 20th release date. The success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, not only as the long-awaited Japan-set entry and the first full Assassin's Creed game since 2020, but also because the company needs a strong performer after recent setbacks and investor concerns.

The game's promotional period has been marred by controversy. The development team issued apologies for inaccuracies in the depiction of Japan and for unauthorized use of a historical recreation group's flag. Further complicating matters, collectible figure maker PureArts removed an Assassin’s Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its "insensitive" design.