Ubisoft is making some major changes to its usual formula asit scraps the bonus early access period and season pass forAssassin’s Creed Shadows. The upcoming entry in the ever-popular franchise has been at thecenter of a controversy whirlwindafter many fans complained about its inaccurate depiction of Japanese history, while Ubisoft itself has been struggling to meet expectations across the board, prompting the company to delay its next major game. The developer has promised that it’s working on changing some ofShadows' content, but that’s not all of its tweaking.
PerGameSpot,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswill no longer sport an early access period for consumers who purchase the Deluxe or Collector’s Edition. Moreover, Ubisoft is seemingly doing its best to appease disgruntled fans by scrapping the game’s Season Pass, although what will become of the additional content remains to be seen; It will most likely be added as free expansions rather than as paid-for DLC. To accommodate these adjustments, the Collector’s Edition is dropping its price from $280 to $230 but will still include all the other previously announced goodies.
Ubisoft Is Worried About Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The Company Is Looking For A Win
The myriad changes hittingAssassin’s Creed Shadows, which also includes launching on Steam as opposed to being a Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store exclusive, is indicative of a major shift in Ubisoft’s priorities. The publisher has recently suffered a string of disappointing releases: WhilePrince of Persia: The Lost Crownwas enjoyed by many, its sales, much likeSkull and Bones,XDefiant, andStar Wars Outlaws,disappointed the company. It openly admitted that most of its recent releases haven’t hit expectations, suggesting some major changes are needed.
In the eyes of fans,Ubisoft has become known as a company that places more emphasis on monetization and live-service experiences, a move that’s left many disappointed with its current direction. The decision to scrap the season pass and the early access bonus forAssassin’s Creed Shadowsfeels like an olive branch of sorts, as does the Day-One launch on Steam. Whether this will beUbisoft’s default strategy going forwardremains to be seen but if successful, it’s not hard to imagine that being the case.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Interview: Brooke Davies On Dual Protagonists & Finally Taking Players To Japan
The associate narrative director behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows spoke with Screen Rant at Summer Game Fest about the game’s story and setting.
Screen Rant’s Take: The AC Shadows Changes Are Great
We Don’t Need More Monetization
I’ve become increasingly more disillusioned with Ubisoft every time the publisher puts out a new game soI’m pleased to see it own up to its mistakes and make some necessary adjustments to how it approaches game monetization. With the exception ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I believe most modern Ubisoft games are bloated experiences that look for any excuse to charge players for extra content that’s usually not worth the asking price. I genuinely hopeAssassin’s Creed Shadowscan demonstrate that less predatory practices equals more sales and profits.
