Assassin’s Creed Shadows has surfaced online ahead of schedule, with unauthorized gameplay footage appearing on streaming platforms nearly a month before its official launch. As first reported by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, social media posts—now taken down—featured images and gameplay clips from a user claiming to have purchased a copy through an online marketplace. Additional listings on a U.S.-based auction site, since deleted, offered multiple copies of the game for $100 each, according to TheGamer.
Multiple Twitch streams have since emerged showcasing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though many are being actively removed, as noted by VGC. The game is still set to officially launch on March 20, 2025. IGN has reached out to Ubisoft for comment regarding the leak.
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This early leak presents a challenging moment for Ubisoft, which has faced ongoing hurdles since the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Despite a turbulent development and promotional cycle, the publisher affirmed earlier this month that preorders remain strong. In its latest financial report, Ubisoft stated that preorders are “tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey,” the franchise’s second most successful release to date.
CEO Yves Guillemot expressed confidence in the game’s reception, noting that early previews have been favorable. “Early previews have been positive, praising its narrative and immersive experience, with both characters playing critical roles in the game’s storyline, as well as the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach,” he said.
“I want to commend the incredible talent and dedication of the entire Assassin’s Creed team, who is working tirelessly to ensure that Shadows delivers on the promise of what is the franchise’s most ambitious entry yet.”
Originally slated for a November release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was first delayed to February 14, then pushed again to its current release date of March 20. The title carries significant weight—not only as the first full mainline Assassin’s Creed game since 2020 and the long-anticipated entry set in feudal Japan, but also as a pivotal release for a struggling Ubisoft needing a commercial and critical success amid recent underperforming titles and growing investor frustration.
The promotional journey has been rocky. The development team has issued apologies for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan and for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission. Compounding the issues, collectible figure maker PureArts removed an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its “insensitive” design.
