Worldwide, Assassin's Creed Odyssey launch week sales beat Origins'
Weekly live events kick off next week.
On Monday, UK physical console sales of Assassin's Creed Odyssey were revealed to be down 25 per cent on last year's Origins. While we said at the time there were likely other factors in play, it didn't look great for Ubisoft's well-received new release.
A few days later, and Odyssey's worldwide launch week sales are now in. Crucially, these include both physical and digital download copies sold.
The good news for Ubisoft? Odyssey is now tracking above Origins - and indeed also above Assassin's Creed Unity and Syndicate. Odyssey, Ubisoft says, has had "the franchise's best launch-week performance of this console generation".
Monday's UK sales - and the gap between this year and last - were always going to be affected by the growth in digital game sales year on year (downloads are not tracked by UK numbers company Chart-Track). Ubisoft's worldwide figures also include PC copies sold - and if there has been a bump for PC sales this year, this may be where the growth lies.
Compared to Origins, Odyssey launched earlier in the year and further away from the major holiday sales season. The game's sales may see a longer tail as people buy copies in the run up to Christmas, although Odyssey will soon be up against stiff competition in the shape of Red Dead Redemption 2.
"We are incredibly proud of what the team accomplished with Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and humbled by the amazing reception from critics and players," Ubisoft exec Geoffroy Sardin said. "Launch is just the start of this epic journey. We have robust content plans for Assassin's Creed Odyssey that will keep players engaged and exploring the game's beautiful and compelling world for a long time to come."
The first new things to do in Odyssey will arrive next week, Ubisoft announced last night, with the arrival of weekly legendary ships or mercenaries to take down for unique rewards. You'll get XP, premium currency Orichalcum and either a legendary gear item or weapon. Keep an eye out for these missions if you're over level 30 - although the challenges will repeat over time if you're not ready enough yet.