After months of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows previews, Ubisoft has shared with fans of the franchise that the series’ newest title set in Feudal Japan has been delayed to early 2025.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post published today, Marc-Alexis Côté, Ubisoft vice president and executive producer of Assassin’s Creed, said the game will now be releasing Feb. 14, 2025. The statement also informed anyone who pre-ordered the game that they will receive a refund, and all future pre-orders for the first expansion will be granted for free.

Yasuke and Naoe in a burning building in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed fans will need to wait a bit longer for the game’s release. Image via Ubisoft.

“We understand this decision will come as disappointing news, especially to those who’ve been waiting patiently for an Assassin’s Creed game inspire by Feudal Japan, but we sincerely believe this is in the best interest of the game, and ultimately your experience as a player,” the statement reads.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows was originally slated for a Nov. 15 launch, with an early-access period beginning Nov. 12. Fans began to question the level of polish on the game after initial previews, however, pointing to everything from compressed-sounding voicelines to low FPS performance. Other criticisms highlighted design choices, including one of the main characters lack of parkour skills—an element of gameplay the franchise has been known for. Even popular streamers like Asmongold weighed in, saying he would “never ever for a second play this” if he wasn’t a streamer.

Insider Gaming reported yesterday how Ubisoft canceled press previews and its online appearance at Tokyo Game Showcase because of “various circumstances.” These cancellations further suggest Ubisoft may have decided on the delay to iron out any remaining kinks in the game’s performance.

All we can say for sure is it seems Shadows needs some more time in the oven. In the words of chronically online gamers: Let Ubisoft cook.