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 that physical copies of the game were being sold ahead of the street date, and 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 awareness of the issue and urged players not to "spoil the experience for others."
"We are aware that players have accessed Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its official release. Our development team is diligently working on patches to ensure the best experience at launch. Please note that any footage shared online does not reflect the final quality of the game.
"Leaks are unfortunate as they can diminish the excitement for players," Ubisoft continued. "We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others. We appreciate our community's efforts in protecting 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!"
These leaks represent another setback for Ubisoft and the renowned Assassin's Creed series. The development team has previously apologized for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan.
Originally set 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 Ubisoft facing challenges due to underwhelming sales of recent titles and investor backlash, the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crucial.
