Assassin’s Creed Shadows has leaked online, with people streaming the game a month before its official release date.
As spotted by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, now-removed social posts revealed images and gameplay from someone who claimed to have bought the game from an online marketplace. Assassin’s Creed Shadows also appeared in now-deleted listings on a U.S. auction site, with one user selling listing multiple copies of the game sold for $100 each, according to TheGamer.
Now, multiple Twitch streams showing Assassin’s Creed Shadows have appeared, although they are being removed according to VGC. Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches officially on March 20, 2025. IGN has asked Ubisoft for comment.
It’s an unfortunate situation for Ubisoft, which has faced a series of difficulties with Assassin’s Creed Shadows since it was announced. Earlier this month, Ubisoft insisted that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had a strong number of preorders despite its troubled development and promotional period.
The struggling publisher said in its latest financial report that “preorders for the game are tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the second most successful entry of the franchise.”
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot maintained this confidence. “Early previews have been positive, praising its narrative and immersive experience, with both characters playing critical roles in the game’s storyline, as well as the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach,” he said.
“I want to commend the incredible talent and dedication of the entire Assassin’s Creed’s team, who is working tirelessly to ensure that Shadows delivers on the promise of what is the franchise’s most ambitious entry yet.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows was originally planned for November before Ubisoft bumped it back to February 14. Another delay saw it pushed again to the current release date of March 20.
A lot rests on the shoulders of Assassin’s Creed Shadows as not only the long-awaited Japan-set entry and the first full Assassin’s Creed since 2020, but a struggling Ubisoft needs it to perform well following recent flops and investor frustration.
It’s not enjoyed a particularly positive promotional period so far, however, with the development team having to apologize on separate occasions for inaccuracies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ depictions of Japan and using a historical recreation group’s flag without permission.
Yet another controversy came as collectible figure maker PureArts removed an Assassin’s Creed Shadows statue from sale over its “insensitive” design.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
