Assassin's Creed Shadows unlock times for each region

Assassin's Creed Shadows knowledge rank - A close-up shot of Naoe with a determined facial expression.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed Shadows drops out of the underbrush soon, and by our own Morgan Park's account in his review, it's a solid stealth-action romp. On March 20 (late March 19 in some regions), Assassin's Creed Shadows will be unlocked for players worldwide—meaning lots of tall things to jump off and gubbins to collect.

Whether Shadows will live up to the absolutely massive pressure that's been heaped upon it by a turbulent industry (and, unfortunately, the kind of person who thinks it's acceptable to harass developers over the videogames they make) is another thing entirely. Still, the way Ubisoft tells it, pre-orders have been doing well so far.

Unlike the business of assassination (and the turbulence of industry trends) we actually happen to know exactly when Assassin's Creed Shadows will strike your digital library and unlock for play. Here's the full dossier for your convenience.

When is Assassin's Creed Shadows' unlock time?

Unlock times for Assassin's Creed Shadows.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches at 9 pm PDT March 19 on PC, giving pre-loaded gamers in LA and California time to hop in for a few hours (and potentially compromise their Thursday workday) with a late-night samurai sesh. Most other regions will receive it March 20. If you're using Ubiconnect, you might unlock it earlier based on your region. Here's the full list of PC unlock times:

  • Los Angeles: 9 pm PDT on Wednesday, March 19
  • Mexico: 10 pm PDT on Wednesday, March 19
  • Montreal and New York: 12 am EDT on Thursday, March 20
  • Sao Paulo: 1 am BRT on Thursday, March 20
  • London: Ubiconnect: 10 pm GMT on Wednesday, March 19 / Steam: 4 am GMT on Thursday, March 20.
  • Paris and Warsaw: Ubiconnect: 11 pm CET on Wednesday, March 19 / Steam: 5 am CET on Thursday, March 20.
  • Abu Dhabi: Ubiconnect: 2 am GST on Thursday, March 20 / Steam: 8 am GST.
  • Johannesburg: Ubiconnect: 6 am SAST on Thursday, March 20 / Steam: 6 am SAST.
  • Shanghai: Ubiconnect: 8 pm CST on Wednesday, March 19 / Steam: 12 am CST on Thursday, March 20.
  • Tokyo and Seoul: Ubiconnect: 9 pm JST/KST on Wednesday, March 19 / Steam: 1 pm JST/KST on Thursday, March 20.
  • Sydney: Ubiconnect: 11 pm AEDT on Wednesday, March 19 / Steam: 3pm AEDT on Thursday, March 20.

Does Assassin's Creed Shadows have preloading?

Yes—at the time of writing, preloading for Assassin's Creed Shadows has been available for some time, so you're free to go ahead and download it. If you're wondering whether Ubisoft's latest, glossiest RPG will run well on your rig, we've got a full performance breakdown already up on our lovely website. Aren't we nice?

TOPICS
Harvey Randall
Staff Writer

Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Assassin's Creed Shadows key art.
Ubisoft reveals Assassin's Creed Shadows preload and unlock times
Image of Yasuke striking an enemy in Assassin's Creed Shadows
I played 6 hours of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and folks, I think this one was worth the wait
Physical copies of Assassin's Creed Shadows leak nearly a month ahead of its release date
assassin's creed shadow naoe
Despite everything, Assassin's Creed Shadows preorders are 'tracking solidly,' Ubisoft says, 'in line with those of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the second most successful entry of the franchise'
Image of Yasuke striking an enemy in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows is delayed again 'to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months'
Ubisoft says that Assassin's Creed Shadows' ninja will be 'the fastest Assassin' it's ever done
Latest in Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed Shadows knowledge rank - A close-up shot of Naoe with a determined facial expression.
Assassin's Creed Shadows unlock times for each region
Assassin's Creed Shadows Imai Sokyu location - Imai Sokyu sitting down at a table with his head turned to his left.
Where to find Imai Sokyu in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows Makino Kurumazuka Kofun - Yasuke holding a large red explosive jar.
How to enter Makino Kurumazuka Kofun in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows rations upgrades - A close-up of Naoe with a worried expression.
How to get and upgrade rations in Assassin's Creed Shadows
assassin's creed shadows yasuke riding a horse
Don't expect to unlock Yasuke for a while in Assassin's Creed Shadows
assassin's creed shadows review
Assassin's Creed Shadows review
Latest in Guides
Assassin's Creed Shadows knowledge rank - A close-up shot of Naoe with a determined facial expression.
Assassin's Creed Shadows unlock times for each region
Assassin's Creed Shadows Imai Sokyu location - Imai Sokyu sitting down at a table with his head turned to his left.
Where to find Imai Sokyu in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows Makino Kurumazuka Kofun - Yasuke holding a large red explosive jar.
How to enter Makino Kurumazuka Kofun in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows rations upgrades - A close-up of Naoe with a worried expression.
How to get and upgrade rations in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Best Assassin's Creed Shadows armour - Yasuke standing confidently with ornate samurai armour and weapons.
Best armour in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Best Assassin's Creed Shadows weapons - Yasuke in full armour riding on horseback.
Best weapons in Assassin's Creed Shadows