Here’s how you can play ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ early
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be emerging from the darkness very soon. While you sit and wait patiently to play the much-scrutinized game, some may wonder why there are already some full-game playthroughs available on YouTube.
Hours before launch in your area, there are already reviews of the game. Basically, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has different release dates per region. Additionally, the game’s release times will vary depending on a player’s choice of console.
How to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows early
Some dedicated PC gamers will be lucky to already have access to the game as early as March 19, 2025. Meanwhile, others in Abu Dhabi, Montreal, New York, and Johannesburg will have to wait until March 20, 2025, for the earliest PC release.
However, the New Zealand trick has allowed some crafty players to start the game before it officially releases. Per Newsweek, “On Xbox, you need to navigate to your settings and select ‘Language and Location.’ There, find your location and change it to New Zealand. Restart your console and your Xbox will think it’s in New Zealand, letting the game unlock at 7am ET on March 19.”
It’s been reported that the New Zealand “hack” only works on Xbox, meaning those who intent on trying out this clever mean of accessing early gameplay must have an Xbox — otherwise, they’re out of luck.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows release dates and times per region
| Region | Steam | PC Ubisoft Connect | Consoles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, United States | March 19, 2025, 9PM PDT | March 19, 2025, 9PM PDT | March 20, 2025, 12AM PDT |
| New York, United States | March 20, 2025, 12AM EDT | March 20, 2025, 12AM EDT | March 20, 2025, 12AM EDT |
| Montreal, Canada | March 20, 2025, 12AM EDT | March 20, 2025, 12AM EDT | March 20, 2025, 12AM EDT |
| Mexico, Mexico | March 19, 2025, 10PM CST | March 19, 2025, 10PM CST | March 20, 2025, 12AM CST |
| Sao Paulo, Brazil | March 20, 2025, 1AM BRT | March 20, 2025, 1AM BRT | March 20, 2025, 12AM BRT |
| London, United Kingdom | March 20, 2025, 4AM GMT | March 19, 2025, 10PM GMT | March 20, 2025, 12AM GMT |
| Paris, France | March 20, 2025, 5AM CET | March 19, 2025, 11PM CET | March 20, 2025, 12AM CET |
| Warsaw, Poland | March 20, 2025, 5AM CET | March 19, 2025, 11PM CET | March 20, 2025, 12AM CET |
| Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | March 20, 2025, 8AM GST | March 20, 2025 2AM GST | March 20, 2025, 12AM GST |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | March 20, 2025, 6AM SAST | March 20, 2025, 12AM SAST | March 20, 2025, 12AM SAST |
| Shanghai, China | March 20, 2025, 12AM CST | March 19, 2025, 8PM CST | March 20, 2025, 12AM CST |
| Seoul, South Korea | March 20, 2025, 1PM KST | March 19, 2025, 9PM KST | March 20, 2025, 12AM KST |
| Tokyo, Japan | March 20, 2025, 1PM JST | March 19, 2025, 9PM JST | March 20, 2025, 12AM JST |
| Sydney, Australia | March 20, 2025, 3PM AEDT | March 19, 2025, 11PM AEDT | March 20, 2025, 11PM AEDT |
For the most part, consoles lag one day behind the PC release on March 20, 2025. On the other hand, those who purchased the game through PC Ubisoft Connect typically have earlier access. There’s no mystery hack that will get you early access on PC. You just have to wait for the game to drop in your area.
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