Sci-Tech

Ubisoft bruised but not broken by 'Assassin's Creed' delay

Last week's announcement also slashed Ubisoft's share price, which has lost over half its value in the past year

Ubisoft bruised but not broken by 'Assassin's Creed' delay

(FILES) Visitors dance at the Ubisoft stand during the Paris Games Week fair in Paris on October 23, 2024. Shares in French video game giant Ubisoft fell by around 10% at the start of trading on the Paris Stock Exchange on January 10, 2025, before recovering somewhat, the day after the announcement of a new postponement of the release of the next episode of "Assassin's Creed."

Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

"Assassin's Creed Shadows" had initially been slated for a November 15, 2024 release

The new episode has been postponed to March 20 after an initial delay to February 14

French video game publisher Ubisoft's second delay to the next installment of its flagship "Assassin's Creed" series forced it to lower financial forecasts. Still, the step is not uncommon in a sector where players' first impressions weigh heavily.

"Assassin's Creed Shadows" had initially been slated for a November 15, 2024 release, but the new episode has now been pushed back to March 20 after an initial delay to February 14.

The change means the game will drop just a few days before Ubisoft's financial year ends.

"While an extra month might not seem like much, it will allow our teams to incorporate better the player feedback we gathered over the last three months," chief executive Yves Guillemot said Thursday.

He added that journalists and content creators would be allowed to test "Shadows" from this week and talk to the development team.

Some have seen the delay as Ubisoft's way of avoiding a repeat of last August's "Star Wars: Outlaws" release, which was plagued by bugs that helped hobble the title's sales.

Early in-game footage of "Shadows" had sparked concern among some gamers about the quality of the release version, especially about how characters will be animated.

For example, one clip showed a character mounted on a horse that appeared to be skating rather than walking over the ground.

But the latest images, released after the first delay was announced, have soothed many anxieties.

Online commentators have also pointed to the slew of high-profile titles set for February releases that could have crowded out "Assassin's Creed" sales—including action-adventure title Monster Hunter Wilds or strategy heavyweight Civilisation VII.

The new Assassin's Creed, set in feudal Japan, was dogged last year by culture-war outrage for featuring a black samurai, Yasuke, as one of its two playable protagonists.

Although based on an actual historical African man who served Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga in the 16th century, some fans accused Ubisoft of shoe-horning in character in response to contemporary political sensibilities.

Yasuke has remained firmly in the game despite the criticism.

'Suck is forever'

Benoit Reinier, a former games journalist who advises development studios, said publication delays "are not rare" and can provide "obvious benefits."

Often, "the very last stages of development are the most important," he added.

"Developers can eliminate bugs or refine little animations... it seems like nothing but extended over dozens of hours of gameplay, it can make the difference between a good and a great game," said Reinier, who posts online using the moniker "Ex Serv."

Visitors wait in line to play the "Assassin's Creed Shadows" action role-playing video game developed by "Ubisoft Quebec" and published by Ubisoft during the Paris Games Week fair in Paris, on October 23, 2024. Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

"Late is just for a little while. Suck is forever," Gabe Newell, the president of games studio Valve, said in a 2023 documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of their classic "Half-Life" -- echoing a maxim common in the industry.

Nevertheless, studio or publishing bosses rarely decide to delay a game lightly, as it can impose severe financial costs.

Guillemot said the initial three-month delay to "Shadows" had cost Ubisoft around 20 million euros ($20.4 million).

Thursday's announcement also slashed Ubisoft's share price, which has lost over half its value in the past year.

The extension can mean many more weeks or months in the intense crunch period immediately before release for the coders and artists working on the game.

"Everyone would rather put out a good game," said David Rabineau, who heads French independent developer Homo Ludens.

But "for the team, that depends hugely on the quality of the working environment."

This photograph shows the logo of "Ubisoft", a French video game publisher, displayed at the Paris Games Week fair in Paris on October 22, 2024. Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

Image woes

Ubisoft has another significant reason for perfecting the new "Assassin's Creed" as far as possible by release day, rather than relying on the now industry-standard practice of day-one software updates or "patches" to fix bugs.

Consumers have long accused the publisher of releasing visibly unfinished games, a black mark on the industry giant's image only worsened by the release of "Star Wars: Outlaws."

"Gamers are very demanding, and that's what's pushed (Ubisoft) to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows," Reinier said.

He added that for Ubisoft, "this is the last-chance game" to rescue its image, finances, and perhaps even its independence.

While business struggles have left the publisher looking like a prime target for a takeover, a successful blockbuster release could provide some breathing room to negotiate Ubisoft's future.

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