Assassin's Creed Shadows delay necessary to change "narrative" of Ubisoft's "inconsistency in quality"
"We only have one shot."
Assassin's Creed boss Marc-Alexis Coté has discussed the recent shock decision to delay the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows until February 2025, just a month before its originally intended release.
The move means Shadows will miss Assassin's Creed's typical pre-Christmas sales window, and comes amidst much scrutiny of publisher Ubisoft's ongoing fortunes, as well as a culture war that has erupted over Shadows' main characters.
Speaking at a BAFTA event attended by Eurogamer in London last night, Coté reflected on the reasons for delay, and the crucial importance of the game to Ubisoft at such a pivotal moment for the company and the Assassin's Creed brand.
"Players can afford to be selective, choosing only the best, and they rightfully demand excellence," Coté said. "Ubisoft's portfolio has faced criticism in recent years for a perceived inconsistency in quality.
"Players expect more polish, more innovation and deeper engagement from the games we release, and they're not shy about letting us know when they feel we have fallen short. This environment pushes us to do better and to be better.
"Assassin's Creed Shadows represents our opportunity to change that narrative, not just for Assassin's Creed, but I think for Ubisoft as a whole."
"In today's market, being amongst the best is just not enough anymore."
Shadows marks the beginning of a bold new push for the Assassin's Creed brand, and comes after a lengthy wait since the series' last fully-fledged blockbuster, 2020's Viking-fuelled Valhalla. (2023's Mirage was deliberately a smaller game, that began life as a Valhalla expansion.)
Ubisoft is priming Shadows to be the launch of a new era of Assassin's Creed, underpinned by a central game launcher/hub, a more accessible ongoing narrative, and technological advances made possible by finally ditching the last generation of consoles.
At the same time, Ubisoft's other 2024 blockbuster - Star Wars Outlaws - underperformed commercially, and the company once again finds itself the subject of speculation on its ongoing corporate independence. The stakes have never seemed higher.
"We know this game has the potential to be one of the best in the franchise's storied history, set in one of the most anticipated settings we've yet to explore," Coté said. "But we also know that in today's market, being amongst the best is just not enough anymore."
Coté reflected on the infamous 2014 launch of Assassin's Creed Unity, an ultimately too-ambitious technical leap for the series set during the French Revolution. Ahead of launch, Ubisoft boasted that the game - the series' first installment for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles - would be where the "next generation started". Ultimately, Unity's graphical issues and convoluted online systems wrecked first impressions, and the brand took a huge hit.
"We only have one shot at launching this game, and it has to exceed expectations."
"[Unity] was meant to be a major milestone for the series, but its reception at launch, marred by technical issues, left a deep impact on all parts of the company, from production to publishing, especially given Ubisoft's roots as a French company," Coté said. "This low point affected all of us, but it also served as a wake up call, reminding us how crucial it was to maintain the quality and integrity of the player experience from day one, a lesson that lives with us to this very day."
All these years later, the spectre of Unity's launch still haunts the brand, it seems - and both Coté and Ubisoft bosses are keen to ensure it is never repeated.
"After much reflection and analysis, I recommended to our top management to delay the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows," Coté continued. "Our playtests and team feedback made it clear Shadows had immense potential, but I felt we needed more time to ensure it fully meets the high expectations of our players.
"We only have one shot at launching this game, and it has to exceed those expectations. Shadows is our most ambitious and complex project yet, with interconnected mechanics, narrative and technology all releasing across the largest number of platforms with the most options we've ever, ever supported.
"Taking this extra time allows us to polish every aspect and set a new standard for the franchise, one that I hope will carry us forward for years. This decision reflects our commitment to delivering an experience worthy of our players' time and attention on day one. We believe Shadows will shine as a true showcase of Ubisoft's talent and dedication, setting a new benchmark in quality for the franchise."
Last night, Eurogamer reported on Coté's lengthy and impassioned defence of Assassin's Creed Shadows' narrative choices and characters - the reaction to which has involved a wave of backlash and online abuse aimed at the game's developers this year.