Ubisoft has introduced a dramatic delay to Murderer’s Creed Shadows, which can now launch on 14th February 2025 as a substitute of its beforehand deliberate arrival this November. Present pre-orders can be refunded.
The writer has all the time focused the 12 months’s key vacation gross sales interval for its Murderer’s Creed blockbusters, making this transfer extremely uncommon. In an announcement, Ubisoft mentioned the sport’s content material was full – as you’d hope, seven weeks forward of its meant launch date – however would now obtain additional polish.
Crucially, Ubisoft mentioned the delay may very well be blamed on “softer than anticipated launch for Star Wars Outlaws”, its earlier huge funds blockbuster for which it had excessive hopes, however then launched in August to lukewarm gross sales. The writer was performing now, it mentioned, primarily based on “learnings” from that recreation.
Murderer’s Creed Shadows will now launch on Steam on day one – a transfer the writer has indicated will proceed with different releases going ahead.
In one other change, Shadows will now ditch the franchise’s established season cross mannequin. The sport’s first growth can be granted free to anybody who pre-orders the sport now, nevertheless.
“Whereas the sport is characteristic full, the learnings from the Star Wars Outlaws launch led us to offer
extra time to additional polish the title,” Ubisoft mentioned in an announcement right this moment. “It will allow the most important entry within the franchise to completely ship on its ambition, notably by fulfilling the promise of our twin protagonist journey, with Naoe and Yasuke bringing two very completely different gameplay kinds.”
At the moment’s delay additionally marked Ubisoft’s first feedback on the efficiency of Star Wars Outlaws. The sport obtained a “strong” crucial response, it says, however this had not translated into gross sales.
“In response to participant suggestions, Ubisoft’s growth groups are presently totally mobilised to swiftly implement a collection of updates to shine and enhance the participant expertise with a purpose to have interaction a big viewers in the course of the
vacation season to place Star Wars Outlaws as a robust long-term performer,” the assertion continued. “The sport can be accessible on Steam on twenty first November.”
Eurogamer’s Chris Tapsell wrote that the sport’s “stripped-back Ubisoft components is admirable but doomed” in our Star Wars Outlaws overview final month.
Rounding off right this moment’s information from Ubisoft was an announcement from firm boss Yves Guillemot, who admitted the agency’s monetary efficiency over the previous quarter had been decrease than anticipated, and introduced a wider overview of how future initiatives had been executed.
“Our second quarter efficiency fell wanting our expectations, prompting us to handle this swiftly and firmly,
with a fair higher give attention to a player-centric, gameplay-first strategy and an unwavering dedication to the long-term worth of our manufacturers,” Guillemot mentioned.
With none additional rationalization, Guillemot concluded his remark by weighing in on what he known as “polarised feedback” concerning the firm, which he mentioned was “to not push any particular agenda”. This is the quote in full:
“Lastly, let me handle a few of the polarised feedback round Ubisoft these days. I wish to reaffirm that we’re an entertainment-first firm, creating video games for the broadest attainable viewers, and our purpose is to not push any particular agenda. We stay dedicated to creating video games for followers and gamers that everybody can take pleasure in.”
It is laborious to not learn this as one other touch upon the latest controversy whipped up on-line round Murderer’s Creed Shadows which has largely targeted on the inclusion of African historic determine Yasuke and his portrayal as a samurai. Eurogamer has requested Ubisoft for extra readability on Guillemot’s remark right here.
“After all we’re making inventive selections, it is a online game,” Murderer’s Creed Shadows artwork director and franchise veteran Thierry Dansereau informed me final month, including that he was assured with how the sport would finally be obtained.
