Image: Ubisoft
Here’s when you can start playing the next Assassin’s Creed game in your region.
If you're looking forward to playing Ubisoft’s next big Assassin's Creed game, here's some good news. The game publisher has announced global release times for Assassin's Creed Shadows, giving a firm time and date for fans around the world to start playing the open-world RPG. According to the official calendar, New Zealanders are once again able to play a video game before anyone else in the world.
Here's the global release calendar:
Assassin's Creed Shadows release timings unveiled
Ubisoft has revealed global launch timings for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the latest mainline instalment in the open-world franchise that takes players to feudal Japan. As usual, those in New Zealand – typically the earliest time zone to get new game launches – will get the game a little earlier than everyone else. Release dates will also vary depending on whether you’re playing the game on PC or consoles, so keep that in mind as well.
We also have global pre-load times and dates for all platforms globally. Here they are:
- Xbox Series X|S: 4 March at 2 PM UTC
- PlayStation 5: 18 March at 12 AM local time
- PC: 17 March at 4PM UTC
It’s unclear why Xbox players get to pre-load the game two weeks earlier than everyone else, but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. One should also note that, according to a recently-released tech Q&A from Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not be playable on the Steam Deck at launch. The publisher stated that “At launch, the game will not be compatible with Steam Deck, due to the fact it is below our minimum specs for PC.”
Ubisoft also recently showed off the Hideout for Assassin’s Creed Shadows; a base of operations for players and a fully customisable sandbox to boot. Players will be able to build the Hideout up from scratch, and decorate it as much as they’d like. This is pretty similar to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s settlement hub, for players who remember building up an entire village in the previous game. Read more on the Hideout here.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on 20 March, 2025.
