On February 24th, reports surfaced of an online leak of Assassin's Creed Shadows, with numerous individuals streaming gameplay a month before its official March 20th launch. The GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit highlighted now-deleted social media posts showcasing pre-release physical copies and unauthorized Twitch streams.
Ubisoft, the developer and publisher, acknowledged the leak on the Assassin's Creed subreddit, urging players to refrain from spoiling the game for others. They stated that the development team is still applying final patches, and that currently available online footage doesn't reflect the game's final quality. Ubisoft emphasized that leaks negatively impact player anticipation and requested community cooperation in preventing spoilers. They concluded with a reminder of the upcoming March 20th release date and promised further announcements.
This leak further complicates matters for Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed franchise, which has already faced criticism for unauthorized use of a historical recreation group's flag and historical inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depiction of Japan. The game's release date was initially November, then shifted to February 14th, and finally to March 20th. Given Ubisoft's recent struggles with underwhelming sales and investor concerns, the success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is crucial for the company.
