Ubisoft has announced that Assassin's Creed Mirage will be accessible on Steam by the end of this month, marking an important shift for the franchise.
The release on Steam comes a full year after the game was initially launched exclusively on the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect on personal computers, in addition to PlayStation and Xbox consoles platforms. Following the underwhelming performance of Star Wars Outlaws, which also missed Steam at its launch, Ubisoft has decided to abandon its exclusivity agreement with Epic and return to simultaneous releases on Steam.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is praised for returning to the franchise's stealth-driven roots. The gameplay centers around Basim, a savvy street thief navigating the busy streets of ninth-century Baghdad. Unlike the considerably lengthy recent entries like Valhalla and Odyssey, which offered expansive open-world experiences, Mirage provides a more concise journey. IGN awarded the game an 8 out of 10, reflecting its positive reception.
Shortly after its release, Ubisoft noted that the number of players for Mirage was comparable to the launch figures of both Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey. Additionally, the game claimed the title of the largest new-generation launch in unit sales in the history of Ubisoft.
The upcoming Steam launch occurs during a challenging year for Ubisoft, characterized by disappointing outcomes from XDefiant and Star Wars Outlaws. The company delayed the debut of Assassin's Creed Shadows to 2025 in the wake of Outlaws' lackluster sales, and there have been reports of staff organizing a strike later this month.
In a recent communication to investors, Ubisoft's CEO acknowledged that the second quarter did not meet expectations and committed to a review aimed at enhancing operational performance. He also touched on the cultural issues that have been surfacing around Ubisoft, particularly in light of Star Wars Outlaws and the anticipated Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Reports indicate that the founding Guillemot family and Tencent, a major shareholder, are contemplating a partnership to take the company private following a significant decline in share prices.