Assassin’s Creed Shadows has leaked online, with gameplay streams appearing a month ahead of its official launch.
As highlighted on the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, now-deleted social media posts shared images and gameplay footage from an individual claiming to have purchased the game through an online marketplace. According to TheGamer, the title also appeared in removed listings on a U.S. auction site, where one seller reportedly offered multiple copies for $100 each.
Several Twitch streams have since surfaced featuring Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though they are being taken down, as noted by VGC. The game is officially set to launch on March 20, 2025. IGN has reached out to Ubisoft for comment.
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This is an unfortunate setback for Ubisoft, which has encountered multiple challenges with Assassin’s Creed Shadows since its announcement. Earlier this month, the company maintained that the game had secured a solid number of preorders despite its troubled development and marketing period.
In its latest financial report, the publisher stated that “preorders are tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the second most successful installment in the franchise.”
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expressed continued confidence, saying, “Early previews have been positive, praising the narrative depth and immersive experience, with both protagonists playing essential roles in the storyline, as well as the quality and complementary nature of the gameplay enabled by the dual protagonist system.”
He added, “I want to recognize the tremendous talent and commitment of the entire Assassin’s Creed team, who are working diligently to ensure Shadows fulfills its promise as the most ambitious entry in the series to date.”
Assassin's Creed Shadows was initially scheduled for a November release, then delayed to February 14. A subsequent postponement moved it to the current launch date of March 20.
The stakes are high for Assassin's Creed Shadows—not only as the long-awaited Japanese chapter and the first full-series release since 2020, but also because a financially strained Ubisoft needs a strong performance following recent disappointments and investor discontent.
So far, the promotional phase has been rocky. The development team had to apologize on separate occasions for inaccuracies in the game's portrayal of Japan and for using a historical recreation group’s flag without authorization.
Another controversy emerged when collectible figure company PureArts withdrew an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its “insensitive” design.
