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Ubisoft used to be one of the dominant game publisher companies across the world. However, those glorious days are now past after multiple back-to-back failures in the last few years. Ubisoft’s bad time has been going for a while; 2024 has pushed it to the bottom limit, with almost all the games performing pathetically.
These failures have resulted in a sharp revenue decline, and currently, the company is under pressure to regain its position in the gaming market. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the only hope that can save this company from bankruptcy.
Ubisoft’s financial struggles are well-known at this point. The reports clearly show that the company has encountered a glaring 31.4% drop in revenue compared to the previous year. This downfall didn't result overnight. Instead, for a long time, Ubisoft games have been underperforming because of performance issues, disappointing gameplay, etc. Players have reported that this French developer and publisher company has never taken player feedback seriously, and that’s the main reason for these downfalls.
Presently, to overcome these challenges, the company has restructured its internal strength and closed several studios. Both decisions led to layoffs. Despite all these, both fans and the company are hoping that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will bring a new ray of light in the darkness.
Since the trailer of the game was launched, the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game promises to bring loads of new features to the franchise. Set in feudal Japan, this game offers two different types of protagonists. While the character of Yasuke, is based on a real-life African Samurai who used to live in Japan during the 16th century, Fujibayashi Naoe is a fictional character without any real-life reference.
After facing failures, Ubisoft is now more careful about the AC Shadows, and it wasn’t ready to launch it randomly. Therefore, this game faced multiple delays; the company even arranged a trial of the game to get the players' feedback. Fortunately, the open world of the game, stealth-based gameplay and the realistic approach toward the climbing parts have created a positive vibe among the gamers.
The most praised feature of the game that will likely set it apart from its predecessors is the dual-protagonist system. Players can choose between these two characters anytime, and each of them comes with a distinct set of abilities. This USP flexibility will probably make AC Shadows a great hit.
Ubisoft is trying to polish the game to incorporate every possible feature that will ensure its success. It is desperate to make this title a grand hit; otherwise, the company's survival will become a big question. Therefore, the outstanding blending of a rich historical setting with innovative gameplay mechanics is the last way the team tries to capture the audience's attention.
Even after all these, the question remains the same—whether all this hard work will pay off for Ubisoft. At this point, it seems like AC Shadows will be a great success if it comes with all its promised features. But here arises another question: can one game’s success resolve all the crises that the company has been going through?
Indeed, the success of AC Shadows matters a lot, but that won’t solve everything. There are other issues that the company must address, especially internal challenges like streamlining its operations and diversifying its game portfolio. However, AC Shadows' success will give the team confidence to work on other projects.
Anyway, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ success will definitely shape the franchise's future. The innovative mechanics and realistic world design will pave the way for new features in the next installments. Maybe this will not re-establish Ubisoft as a leader in the industry instantly, but at least the success will make sure that this French company survives the competition.
To conclude, it is hard to state whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows will save Ubisoft. The game hasn’t yet been released, and its success indeed matters a lot, but it doesn’t seem to end all the financial obstacles of the company at once. However, it will re-establish Ubisoft as one of the leading game publishers for sure.
