Assassin’s Creed producer Marc-Alexis Coté recently addressed the surprising delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows to February 2025, a month later than initially planned. This delay means the game will miss Ubisoft’s usual holiday sales window, a significant shift amidst scrutiny of Ubisoft’s recent struggles and rising controversy over the game’s main characters.

At a BAFTA event, Coté explained the reasoning behind the delay, emphasizing the game’s crucial importance for Ubisoft and the Assassin’s Creed series. “Players are selective and rightly demand excellence,” Coté remarked. He acknowledged that Ubisoft has faced criticism in recent years for inconsistent quality across its games. Shadows represents our chance to redefine the narrative around Assassin’s Creed and Ubisoft as a whole.”

This installment marks a new direction for Assassin’s Creed, following the series’ last major title, 2020’s Valhalla, with 2023’s Mirage intentionally developed as a smaller-scale project. Ubisoft plans to position Shadows as a fresh chapter for the franchise, introducing a central game hub, a more unified narrative, and leveraging new-generation console technology. With recent commercial setbacks—such as Star Wars Outlaws underperforming—the stakes have grown.

Coté pointed to the infamous 2014 launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity as a learning experience. The game, celebrated pre-launch for its advanced graphics and online connectivity, ultimately faltered due to technical issues, harming Ubisoft’s reputation. “Unity was intended as a series milestone, but its launch woes left a lasting impact on every part of the company,” Coté said. This experience has reinforced Ubisoft’s commitment to quality and informed their approach to Shadows.

Reflecting on the current market pressures, Coté ultimately advocated for the delay to ensure Shadows met the high standards expected by fans. “Our playtests and feedback showed Shadows has tremendous potential, but more time is needed to perfect it,” he explained. With its vast mechanics, interconnected storytelling, and platform-wide rollout, Shadows is Ubisoft’s most ambitious project yet. This extra development time, Coté emphasized, is crucial to polishing every detail and delivering a franchise-defining experience.

With Shadows embodying Ubisoft’s promise of quality, the team aims to set a new benchmark for the series. Coté concluded that this delay underscores Ubisoft’s commitment to offering players a refined experience, ensuring Shadows launches as a pinnacle of the company’s dedication and talent.