Good morning!

Somehow, against all logic, Skull and Bones is the last live-service game standing. Ubisoft refuses to let this ship sink, teasing sword fighting, Krakens, and—dare I say it—a second chance at being good. Wild times.

In this edition, we’ve got:

• A Damn Good Start in Feudal Japan

• Single-player games aren’t dead (again), despite what the internet says.

• Ubisoft is assembling a defense squad to protect Assassin’s Creed Shadows devs from online nonsense.

Here’s everything you need to know this week in the world of gaming.

TOP STORY

Playstation’s Classics Are Quietly Making a Comeback

A Damn Good Start in Feudal Japan

Ubisoft's latest stab at open-world dominance, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, just sliced past 1 million players on day one. Not bad for a Thursday, eh?

Launching across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 20, this stealth-samurai mashup drops us into feudal Japan, finally, and people are clearly here for it. Ubisoft flexed on socials before Canada even hit 4pm: "Already 1M players!" they cried.

Humble? Not really. 

Deserved? Kinda.

On Steam, it’s currently the #1 global bestseller by revenue, with early concurrent numbers peaking just over 41K. That might not be Dragon Age: Veilguard levels (which hit 70K+), but give it the weekend—this one’s got legs. And swords.

A Little Timeline Context (a.k.a. “Wait, Where Are We Again?”)

If you’re confused about when Shadows takes place in the sprawling Assassin’s Creed saga—don’t worry, even the Isu probably lost track.

This one's somewhere in the middle of the AC historical time-hop-o-rama. From ancient Greece (Odyssey), to Cleopatra’s Egypt (Origins), to golden age Baghdad (Mirage), and now... boom: Feudal Japan. Two new protagonists, two sharp blades, and way too many shrines for Japanese politicians to be chill about it.

Yep—actual politicians debated this game in actual Japanese parliament this week. Ubisoft even dropped a day-one patch to calm the storm. You know a game’s hot when the Prime Minister’s weighing in.

Is it actually good?

Steam reviews are sitting at a spicy “Very Positive” (82%), and IGN gave it a solid 8/10, saying:

Ubisoft needed a win after Star Wars Outlaws flopped harder than a haystack leap, and early signs suggest Shadows could be the comeback they were praying for.

So, what do I think?

But hey, reviews and Steam stats only tell part of the story. In my latest video, I dive into the real question: Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows enough to save Ubisoft from itself? Spoiler: probably not. I break down why even a big win like Shadows might not be enough to reverse years of financial faceplants, internal chaos, and baffling NFT experiments (yes, they’re still doing that).

With my background in corporate finance, I unpack what a Tencent takeover could actually look like, why Ubisoft’s leadership is the real final boss, and what this all means for the future of AC—and the 18,000+ people working behind the scenes. Oh, and yeah, I even manage to crack some jokes in between the economic doom.

👉 Watch the full video here:

LATEST NEWS

GENERAL

• Single-player games are "dead" again? Swen Vincke isn't buying it. The Baldur’s Gate 3 boss says solo games just need to be, you know, good. Wild concept, right? Meanwhile, Sony is awkwardly backpedaling from live-service failures and putting its studios back on the single-player grind. Maybe quality actually does matter—who knew? (TheGamer)

• Ubisoft’s got a new plan to protect Assassin’s Creed Shadows devs from online harassment—because apparently, making a game now requires body armor. The team is being advised to keep a low profile on social media, while a special unit monitors internet nonsense and lawyers stand ready. Who knew game development came with a defense squad? Unfortunately, it seems like it’s needed in this day and age… (PCGamesn)

QUICK LINKS

• Super Smash Bros. creator says instead of making more "Americanized works," Japanese devs should "seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games".

• Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Sales Were A "Large Loss" For Square Enix (TheGamer).

• The Day Before studio reportedly sues Russian website for calling infamous disaster-game a 'scam'.

• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is still in development at Saber, promises COO.

LATEST VIDEO

Ubisoft is doubling down on 'Skull and Bones' in 2025...

2021—a time when big-budget games were getting the red-carpet treatment, complete with fancy trailers and multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns. Among them were Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Redfall, and a game nobody really asked for: Skull and Bones—a title stuck in development limbo for nearly a decade.

Fast forward to 2025, and guess what? Skull and Bones is the only one still standing. That’s right—Suicide Squad has been abandoned, Redfall is a distant memory, and even Sony is pulling the plug on its live-service dreams. Yet, against all odds, Ubisoft is doubling down on its pirate adventure, teasing a Year 2 update featuring massive ships, volcanic eruptions, and, wait for it, a Kraken.

But the thing everyone is waiting for? Sword fighting. If the rumors are true, Ubisoft is adding actual melee combat, potentially turning Skull and Bones into the pirate game people actually wanted. And why is Ubisoft still pushing this game? One word: Black Flag. With a remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on the horizon, Ubisoft seems to be setting up Skull and Bones as the long-term destination for pirate-loving gamers.

Will this plan work? Who knows. But if Skull and Bones somehow transforms into “Black Flag Online,” it might just have a shot. Check out the full video for all the details and let me know—would this make you give Skull and Bones another chance?

📺 Watch the video here:

WHAT’S TRENDING?

Via SullyGnome

MOST POPULAR:
The Twitch throne remains firmly in the hands of Just Chatting, climbing back up this week with a 5.9% boost in hours watched. The usual suspects still dominate, but a few are slipping…

🥇 Just Chatting – 66.9M hours watched (📈 +5.9%)
🥈 League of Legends – 23.7M hours watched (📈 +22.6%)
🥉 Grand Theft Auto V – 20.3M hours watched (📉 -6.3%)
🎯 Counter-Strike – 16.4M hours watched (📉 -14.0%)
🐉 World of Warcraft – 11.0M hours watched (📉 -28.0%)

TRENDING:

These titles are charging up the charts right now, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows sneaking into the spotlight thanks to its big launch:

🗡 Assassin’s Creed Shadows – 🔥 6.6M more hours watched
🏆 League of Legends – +5.4M more hours watched
💬 Just Chatting – +3.2M more hours watched
⚔ Overwatch 2 – +2.0M more hours watched (📈 +82.6%)
🦸 Marvel Rivals – +1.6M more hours watched (📈 +23.4%)