Ubisoft knows it's last-chance saloon as another Assassin's Creed Shadow delay confirmed

Assassin's Creed Shadows has once again been delayed by Ubisoft and it seems the studio knows it's got one last chance to get things right.

The latest instalment in the Assassin's Creed series was at first due to release on November 15 last year, was then delayed to February 14 this year and now it has been pushed back again to March 20.

In a statement, executive producer Marc-Alexis Cote said: "While we've already made remarkable strides, we believe a few additional weeks are needed to implement feedback [from our community] and ensure an even more ambitious and engaging day-one experience.

"Accordingly, the new release date is March 20. We remain committed to delivering a high-quality, immersive experience - fostered by ongoing dialogue between our players and development teams."

Basically, Ubisoft has chosen to delay it to refine and polish it to a standard where it's less likely to launch with bugs or issues that need to be fixed.

As with all modern games, updates can be rolled out over time but a title needs a smooth launch to really land - it's no good releasing a great title with game-breaking bugs and crashes as players will just wait to see what it's like in a few months' time or even just forget about it altogether.

It's been a really tough time for a number of reasons for Ubisoft and this delay shows the studio knows it's absolutely key Assassin's Creed Shadows launches exactly how it wants, and needs, it to.

Ubisoft has come under fire for Yasuke, a black samurai, being one of the main characters in Assassin's Creed Shadows / Image from Ubisoft

Ubisoft released Star Wars Outlaws back in August and it did not land, reportedly falling well short of sales targets the studio set.

The ambitious game launched with bugs, according to a number of reviews, with Ubisoft then releasing patches to try and fix these issues.

But the damage was done - the game only sold one million copies in its first month.

Add on to this Ubisoft's share price reportedly falling to a 10-year low because of this, the company having to make a number of layoffs through 2024 and some fans thinking Ubisoft games are too similar in style, with the same gameplay loop found across different locations, the pressure is on for Assassin's Creed Shadows to hit a home run.

And the game will already launch on the back foot to some extent.

In the sad modern reality of anti-woke culture from some corners of the internet, a number of fans moaned and groaned loudly about the decision to have Yasuke as a central character when this was announced.

He is a black samurai protagonist and some bemoaned this decision instead of the character being an indigenous Japanese, including Elon Musk.

Some accused Ubisoft of 'going woke' with others saying it's not a real representation of Japanese history.

Ubisoft spoke out about this and defended its decision but the noise from these corners inevitably and sadly means some will avoid the game. Even if the title is spectacular.

Sad really, isn't it? What happened to just being able to enjoy something for what it is?

Assassin's Creed Shadows shouldn't be judged on this. It should be judged on if it's actually any good, fun to play and if Ubisoft can provide players a new and exciting experience.

Assassin's Creed is Ubisoft's most profitable series. The studio needs it to cash in more than ever.

And it knows it.

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