Ubisoft boss says it knows players think it has an 'inconsistency in quality,' so it delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows to flip that script

GamesActionAssassin’s CreedAssassin’s Creed ShadowsUbisoft boss says it knows players think it has an ‘inconsistency in quality,’ so it delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows to flip that scriptWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Image for Ubisoft boss says it knows players think it has an �inconsistency in quality,� so it delayed Assassin�s Creed Shadows to flip that script

People have their gripes, but I still quite enjoy a big oldUbisoftopen world. There’s something about the studio’s formula for things like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry that lets me achieve a kind of zen state: Just me, a controller, a map full of little icons to tick off, and absolutely zero regions of my brain lighting up. Bliss.

But lord knows I am not the market at large, and it’s not difficult to find people criticising the company for its games' samey-ness, or writing, or straight-up technical bugs. Ubisoft knows that too, which is why Assassin’s Creed’s vice president executive producer Marc-Alexis Coté recently toldEurogamerthat “Ubisoft’s portfolio has faced criticism in recent years for a perceived inconsistency in quality,” and that’s whyAC Shadows got pushed to Februarynext year.

“Players can afford to be selective, choosing only the best, and they rightfully demand excellence,” said Côté. Your average player in 2024 expects “more polish, more innovation and deeper engagement from the games we release, and they’re not shy about letting us know when they feel we have fallen short.” Boy,ain’t that the truth?

So, to boil it down, it sounds like Côté is saying Shadows was in a good but not great spot for a November release—at least in Ubisoft’s estimation—and that the game has been delayed to give it a chance to reach that next level of quality before it gets into players' hands.

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That was a “low point” for the studio, says Côté, but it also taught the devs “how crucial it was to maintain the quality and integrity of the player experience from day one, a lesson that lives with us to this very day.” Whichsounds to melike Shadows was maybe a little too busted to be putting out as early as this month, and risked Ubisoft running into another Unity-style fiasco.

I digress. “Taking this extra time allows us to polish every aspect and set a new standard for the franchise, one that I hope will carry us forward for years,” says Côté, “We believe Shadows will shine as a true showcase of Ubisoft’s talent and dedication, setting a new benchmark in quality for the franchise.” Is that how it’ll actually work out? We’ll find out this February.

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