Assassin’s Creed Shadows sets huge franchise record with growing player count

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now officially the biggest Steam release in franchise history as the player count continues to soar past all previous entries.

Despite the many controversies ahead of release, AC Shadows has quickly become one of the biggest titles in franchise history. It’s swiftly reached over two million players across all platforms, surpassing the launch periods of both AC Origins and Odyssey.

That’s not all though. Among the active player base, many are checking the new release out on PC, and in particular, through Steam. In fact, more than ever are playing this way, as Shadows has now raised the bar for the franchise on Valve’s digital storefront.

Leaping and mantling ahead of all previous entries in the popular series, the game focused on Feudal Japan has now reached a higher concurrent player count than everything that came before it.

Ubisoft

Shadows has quickly become the single biggest entry on Steam.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows becomes biggest Steam release in franchise history

As of March 23, 2025, exactly 64,825 players were stepping into the shoes of Yasuke and Naoe at the same time. This figure officially makes it the most concurrently played Assassin’s Creed title ever on Steam.

Previously, the record was held by 2018’s AC Odyssey, which recorded 62,089 concurrent players at its most popular moment. Below that is a considerable drop, with the previous year’s AC Origins next at 41,551 concurrents, according to SteamDB.

Of course, it’s crucial to note that a number of recent Assassin’s Creed titles, including AC Mirage and AC Valhalla, were originally unavailable on Steam. Both were Epic Games Store exclusive on PC, and only arrived on Steam at a later date. 

Now that Ubisoft has moved the franchise back to Steam, the most widely utilized launcher on PC, it’s clearly paying dividends already. Shadows has made history just days after its release.

Below is a quick look at the ten most concurrently played games in the AC franchise on Steam:

1. Assassin’s Creed Shadows – 64,825
2. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – 62,089
3. Assassin’s Creed Origins – 41,551
4. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag – 16,049
5. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 15,679
6. Assassin’s Creed 3 – 15,007
7. Assassin’s Creed Unity – 12,180
8. Assassin’s Creed Mirage – 7,870
9. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate – 4,729
10. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – 3,848

Shadows has been a return to form for AC series, with our review labeling it the strongest entry since Black Flag had us sailing the high seas.

If you’re one of the many millions jumping in amid the hype, be sure to read up on why Canon Mode is the optimal way to play.