Ubisoft Addresses Assassin's Creed Shadows Leak Scandal

Yesterday, February 24, we reported that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had leaked online, with numerous individuals streaming the game a month before its official release date on March 20.

Over the weekend, as noted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, now-deleted social media posts revealed physical copies of the game being sold before the intended street date. Additionally, multiple streams of the unreleased game surfaced on platforms like Twitch.

In response to the leak, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher, has issued a statement on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They confirmed their awareness of the issue and urged players to refrain from spoiling the experience for others. "We are aware that players have accessed Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its official release. The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch, and any footage shared online does not represent the final quality of the game," Ubisoft stated.

"Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players," they continued. "We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others. Thank you to our community for already taking steps to protect everyone from spoilers. Stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers, and keep an eye on our channel for more official surprises in the coming weeks! March 20 will be here soon!"

The leaks represent another setback for Ubisoft and its flagship Assassin's Creed series. The development team has previously had to apologize for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission, and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan.

Originally slated for a November release, Assassin's Creed Shadows saw its launch date pushed back to February 14, and then again to the current release date of March 20. With struggling Ubisoft needing a strong performance after disappointing sales of other recent titles and facing investor backlash, the success of this game is crucial.