Assassin’s Creed Shadows exact release and pre-load times
Assassin’s Creed Shadows exact release and pre-load times
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally set to release on March 20 after a tumultuous development.
The game faced multiple delays and criticism in Japan in the months leading up to its official launch. Now, as March 20 approaches, it will be available worldwide on PC, Xbox, and PS5, though at different times depending on the region.
While the official release date is March 20, some players will get access a day earlier, on March 19, due to Ubisoft’s release schedule. However, for most players, the game will be available on March 20.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Assassin’s Creed Shadows release times.
AC Shadows exact release time and date by region
I highly recommend not skimming over the table below. The times vary significantly depending on the country and platform. Whether you’re playing on consoles, Steam, or Ubisoft Connect, the difference in access times can be several hours. So, pay close attention to the details and check the city closest to your location if yours isn’t listed, along with the exact platform you’re using.
Here are all the official Assassin’s Creed Shadows release dates and times by region and platform.
| City | PC Ubi Connect release time | Steam release time | Consoles release time |
| London | March 19, 10 p.m GMT | March 20, 4 a.m GMT | March 20, 12 a.m GMT |
| Montreal | March 20, 12 a.m EDT | March 20, 12 a.m EDT | March 20, 12 a.m EDT |
| Warsaw | March 19, 11 p.m CET | March 20, 5 a.m CET | March 20, 12 a.m CET |
| Los Angeles | March 19, 9 p.m PDT | March 19, 9 p.m PDT | March 20, 12 a.m PDT |
| New York | March 20, 12 a.m EDT | March 20, 12 a.m EDT | March 20, 12 a.m EDT |
| Paris | March 19, 11 p.m CET | March 20, 5 a.m CET | March 20, 12 a.m CET |
| Abu Dhabi | March 20, 3 a.m GST | March 20, 8 a.m GST | March 20, 12 a.m GST |
| Johannesburg | March 20, 12 a.m SAST | March 20, 6 a.m SAST | March 20, 12 a.m SAST |
| São Paulo | March 20, 12 a.m BRT | March 20, 1 a.m BRT | March 20, 12 a.m BRT |
| Mexico | March 19, 10 p.m CST | March 19, 10 p.m CST | March 20, 12 a.m CST |
| Shanghai | March 19, 8 p.m CST | March 20, 3 a.m CST | March 20, 12 a.m CST |
| Seoul | March 19, 9 p.m KST | March 20, 3 a.m KST | March 20, 12 a.m KST |
| Tokyo | March 19, 9 p.m JST | March 20, 3 a.m JST | March 20, 12 a.m JST |
| Sydney | March 19, 11 p.m AEDT | March 20, 3 p.m AEDT | March 20, 12 a.m AEDT |
AC Shadows official pre-load times
Here are all the official Assassin’s Creed Shadows pre-load times.
| City | Xbox Series X|S pre-load time | PS5 pre-load time | PC pre-load time |
| London | March 04, 02 p.m GMT | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 04 p.m GMT |
| Montreal | March 04, 09 a.m EST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 11 a.m EST |
| Warsaw | March 04, 03 p.m CET | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 05 p.m CET |
| Los Angeles | March 04, 06 a.m PST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 08 a.m PST |
| New York | March 04, 09 a.m EST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 11 a.m EST |
| Paris | March 04, 03 p.m CET | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 05 p.m CET |
| Abu Dhabi | March 04, 06 p.m GST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 08 p.m GST |
| Johannesburg | March 04, 04 p.m SAST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 06 p.m SAST |
| São Paulo | March 04, 11 a.m BRT | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 01 p.m BRT |
| Mexico | March 04, 08 a.m CST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 17, 10 a.m CST |
| Shanghai | March 04, 10 p.m CST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 18, 12 a.m CST |
| Seoul | March 04, 11 p.m KST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 18, 01 a.m KST |
| Tokyo | March 04, 11 p.m JST | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 18, 01 a.m JST |
| Sydney | March 05, 01 a.m AEDT | March 18, 12 a.m Local Time | March 18, 03 a.m AEDT |
To preload AC Shadows, you must have purchased it before release. Preloading allows you to download the game files ahead of time so that everything is ready once the game officially launches.
However, if you try to launch the game before it’s available, you’ll likely run into an issue. You might not be able to click “Play,” or you may get an error screen saying the game isn’t available yet, the servers are offline, or something similar. This is normal, and it just means you have to wait for the official release time. If you buy the game after release, you’ll simply download it and be able to play right away.
To start preloading, check if your platform has automatic preloads enabled. If not, go to your platform’s store when preload time arrives and manually download the game.
Ubisoft may also push an update before launch, especially if there’s a Day 1 patch. While this hasn’t been confirmed for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it’s common for major releases. Don’t be surprised if you need to download extra files a few hours or days before the game officially goes live.
Source: Bhernardo Viana for destructoid