Physical copies of Assassin's Creed Shadows leak nearly a month ahead of its release date

Nearly a month ahead of its scheduled release, physical copies of Assassin's Creed Shadows have reportedly leaked, and people on social media are sharing images, gameplay clips, and other details about the game.

Copies of the game were reportedly being offered on Facebook Marketplace, and TheGamer has an image of one seller offering multiple copies for sale on online marketplace Mercari. Clips of gameplay have also been posted on Twitch and elsewhere, and while Ubisoft appears to be moving quickly to take them down, they're not hard to find if you want to look. (To avoid potential spoilers, we will not be posting links.)

One person on Reddit noted that the leaked version being played is an "old build" that noticeably lacks some of the improvements that were promised when Assassin's Creed Shadows was delayed out of 2024. That's not terribly surprising given that the discs would have been produced weeks or months ago, and that weeks remain before full release. In the era of digital distribution, developers are typically working on games right up to the moment they go live, ensuring that everything is as it should be (or at least as close to it as possible) in a now-ubiquitous day one patch that's meant to be available by the time you get your hands on that disc.

Regardless, this is a headache Ubisoft doesn't need, especially given the long, bumpy road Assassin's Creed Shadows has travelled so far. It's been beset by problems pretty much from the moment it was announced in 2024: Aggrieved gamer outrage over the presence of the Black samurai Yasuke, a couple of self-inflicted injuries, and of course the last-minute delay that pushed it into February, and then March. In a way, this kind of last-minute mess almost feels inevitable: It's been such a drawn-out rough go for Assassin's Creed Shadows that one more stepped-on rake only makes sense.

We are aware players have accessed Assassin's Creed Shadows ahead of its official release. The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch and any footage shared does not represent the final quality of the game. Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players. We kindly ask you not to spoil the experience for others. Thank you to our community for already taking steps to protect everyone from spoilers. — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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