Assassin’s Creed Shadows gets delayed, but drops on Steam day one

Ubisoft has made the decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows into 2025 just a few weeks before launch, with pre-orders getting refunds.

With only a few weeks to go until players were expecting to take a step back in time to Feudal Japan and experience a brand new historical murder-and-stealth story, a delay has hit Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft has taken the decision to push back the launch of the game, with a brand new date coming for the title in the new year.

Taking to its official X account, Ubisoft announced that it will be pushing the launch date for Assassin’s Creed Shadows back by a few months. The primary reason appears to be related to the developer’s ambition for the stealth game, with more work needed to fully realize what it wants to achieve with the game.

“This is an ambitious addition to the franchise, a rich experience that can be lived through the eyes of two unique protagonists,” Ubisoft writes on X. “We realize we need more time to polish and refine the experience, pushing further some of our key features.”

This delay also has ramifications for anyone who has previously chosen to pre-order Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As such, Ubisoft has decided to refund all current pre-orders, with future pre-orders receiving the first expansion for the game for free. The developer has not made it clear in the post how these refunds will be processed when made through third party retailers, though presumably anyone with extant purchases will be required to contact the stores in question.

In addition to the delay to the Assassin’s Creed release date, Ubisoft announces that it will be ditching its season pass model for the title. Assassin’s Creed Shadows will also be released simultaneously on multiple platforms, with Steam players being able to play on day one instead of having to wait for an exclusivity period.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows launch date is now set for Friday February 14, 2025.

Should that be too long to wait, you can check out our guides to the best RPGs and the best open-world games you can play on PC, to keep you busy until Assassin’s Creed Shadows fully arrives.

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