Weekend Highlights (March 22-23)

The European Union now recommends developers display prices for in-game items in real currency, the player base for Assassin’s Creed Shadows has exceeded 2 million people, and the creators of the failed Seekers of Skyveil have decided to close their studio—here are the main events in the gaming industry over the past weekend.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

• The European Commission has published on its website a list of recommendations for game developers dealing with microtransactions. This initiative aims to protect gamers from unfair practices that occasionally appear in various projects. The list was compiled by the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC Network) of the European Union in accordance with the region's legislation. One of the key recommendations is to clearly and transparently indicate the price of in-game items, showing it not only in in-game currency but also in real money. Additionally, the organization urges developers not to push gamers towards purchasing unnecessary in-game currency and to provide users with the option to request refunds.

Example of displaying prices for in-game items in virtual and real currency

• Ubisoft announced that within two days of its release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows attracted over 2 million players. In terms of launch audience size, the new title surpassed hits like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, although the most successful launch in the series remains Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
• Meanwhile, the peak online player count for Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Steam reached a record for the series at 64,825 players. Previously, the title of most popular Assassin’s Creed game on the platform belonged to 'Odyssey,' which had a peak concurrent player count of 62,069. Looking more broadly, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently in fifth place for peak online players on Steam among all Ubisoft games. It trails only Far Cry 5 (92,445 players), Tom Clancy’s The Division (114,228 players), Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (201,933 players), and For Honor (225,831 players).
• Elodie Games announced that it is preparing to close its doors. The reason is the failed release of its debut game—the PvPvE extraction shooter set in a fantasy world, Seekers of Skyveil. The project was released on March 3, 2025, and according to its developers, it has attracted few users since then. Its peak online player count on Steam is 384 people. It is noteworthy that Elodie Games was founded in 2019 by veterans from Riot Games and BioWare. According to the Game Industry Layoffs portal, the studio employs around 35 people.