Ubisoft confirms that early access to Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been canceled

^{Image: Ubisoft}

Ubisoft has officially canceled the early access period of Assassin’s Creed Shadows for those who purchased the Collector’s and Gold editions.

Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ the previously announced early access period has been canceled. Previously, the game developer had promised 72 hours of early access to Assassin’s Creed Shadows to anyone who purchased the Collector’s Edition and Gold Edition, but this was before the game was delayed until 2025 and the Season Pass DLC plan was reworked.

During the day the announcement of the postponement, the company had confirmed that it is “deviating from the traditional Season Pass model” and that “all players will be able to enjoy the game at the same time”, but a Discord Q&A session held this week has confirmed that the Season Pass has been completely scrapped and will therefore not be included in the collector’s edition.

Ubisoft is officially canceling the season pass and early access for Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Ubisoft has made it official: Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not host a 72-hour early access period before launch, breaking the usual pattern for regular releases. This follows the publisher’s announcement that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been delayed from November 15 this year to February 14, 2025, and that all pre-orders for the game will be refunded. Future pre-orders would include free access to the first expansion.

In a separate one press release In updating its fiscal year 2024-2025 financial targets, the company also confirmed that it is “deviating” from its proven paid Season Pass DLC model. All players would be able to “enjoy the game simultaneously on February 14,” including Steam users. This was hidden in a press release that most consumers might not have been able to pick up on, so it’s understandable that many didn’t notice it at the time.

This week, however, Ubisoft hosted a Q&A on the Assassin’s Creed Discord server to clear up any confusion surrounding the next big game. According to a now deleted post from Insider gaming (documented on ResetEra), the company confirmed that the Assassin’s Creed Shadows collector’s edition bundle will see some pretty big changes. This includes the cancellation of the previously promised 72 hours of early access and the complete removal of the season pass.

That must be what Ubisoft meant by “moving away from the traditional Season Pass model.” Apparently, several changes can still be made to the rest of the collector’s edition contents, such as the visuals, steelbook, artbook, and overall design. Understandably, the price of the bundle has now been reduced from $279 to $229. It’s unclear if the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gold Edition will see a similar price reduction, but it’s likely, as it also included a season pass and 72 hours of early access.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will now be released on February 14, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.