Ubisoft has reportedly invested $2.1 million in influencer marketing for its latest game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which launched on March 20. This major release brought players into feudal Japan with an estimated development budget between $250-350 million.
According to Nick Lombardi of Streamforge, an influencer marketing specialist company, the campaign generated impressive results with 179.4 million views and 11.9 million sponsored views across various platforms. Twitch received the largest share of the budget at approximately $1.08 million (55% of total spending), while YouTube and TikTok split the remainder.
Popular Twitch streamer HasanAbi (Hasan Piker) reportedly earned $76,510 for his participation, making him one of the highest-paid influencers in the campaign. While Ubisoft hasn’t officially confirmed these figures, they align with typical industry standards for a game of this magnitude.
Marketing experts note that AAA game titles often allocate between 20-50% of development costs to marketing. This places Shadows’ potential total marketing budget between $50-150 million, with the influencer campaign representing a relatively small but strategic portion of the overall promotional effort.
The game faced multiple delays before its final release, pushing back from the original November 2024 launch date to February 2025, and finally to March. These delays added an estimated €20 million to the budget, as stated by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, creating additional pressure to ensure a successful launch.
Influencer marketing has become increasingly important in the gaming industry, offering companies a way to connect with audiences through trusted content creators. This approach differs significantly from traditional advertising methods like television commercials or print media, focusing instead on building authentic relationships with potential players.
For Assassin’s Creed Shadows, with its controversial historical setting partnering with digital creators made strategic sense.
As of now, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has achieved remarkable success, surpassing 3 million players within just seven days of its launch.
The game’s peak concurrent player count on Steam reached 64,825 on March 23, and it has maintained a strong presence across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, Ubisoft Connect, and Epic Games Store.
