Ubisoft has officially confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available on Mac from day one, alongside its launch on PC and consoles. This marks a significant moment for Mac gamers, as the franchise has not always been consistently available on Apple devices.
In January, Ubisoft opened pre-registration for the game, including Mac users. However, multiple delays left some fans wondering if the Mac release would happen simultaneously with other platforms. Ubisoft has assured players that the game will arrive on Mac as initially planned.
Optimised for Apple’s latest technology
Unlike previous Assassin’s Creed titles, Shadows has been designed to fully exploit Apple’s hardware. The game is built on Ubisoft’s proprietary Anvil engine and uses Apple’s Metal 3 API for improved graphics and performance. It also runs natively on M-series chips, starting from the M1, and supports real-time ray tracing on M3 and M4 models.
This announcement aligns with Apple’s ongoing efforts to position Macs as capable gaming machines. In recent years, high-profile games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village have been ported to macOS, and Cyberpunk 2077 is set to follow. However, it is rare for a major game like Assassin’s Creed Shadows to receive a simultaneous Mac release. While some games, such as Baldur’s Gate 3, have arrived on Mac earlier through early access, Ubisoft is making a clear statement by prioritising Mac users from launch.
A new chapter in the Assassin’s Creed series
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes players to 16th-century Japan and features two playable protagonists: Naoe, a skilled assassin, and Yasuke, a samurai warrior inspired by the real-life African samurai of the same name. The game is set to launch on March 20 and will be available for M-series Macs through the Mac App Store. It will also be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Store.
Pre-orders are open now, with a standard edition priced at US$94.90 on Ubisoft’s website. Additionally, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available to subscribers through Ubisoft+. Interestingly, an iPad version is also in development for M-series iPads, though Ubisoft has not yet announced a release date.
As Assassin’s Creed Shadows becomes one of the first major titles to launch on Mac from day one, it signals a growing shift towards Apple’s ecosystem in the gaming industry. Whether this trend continues will depend on the success of these high-profile releases, but for now, Mac gamers have plenty to look forward to.
