Microtransactions often spark debate among gamers, and recently, Simon Lemay-Comtois, the assistant game director of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, expressed Ubisoft’s stance on this topic. The renown gaming series has incorporated microtransactions across several iterations, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but this has not been universally embraced by the player community.

The lead-up to the game’s release was marked by significant controversies, including changes to historical figures and gameplay mechanics, which drew criticism from players and reviewers alike. Yet, the title set sales records and quickly became one of the franchise’s best-sellers in the early 2025 period. Nonetheless, the presence of microtransactions has turned some players away.

“For all the flak it gets, it allows us to do the Isu stuff, the quest stuff, the parkour updates, all of it,” Lemay-Comtois stated, highlighting the revenue’s role in funding additional content.

Lemay-Comtois’s comments echo previous sentiments from Ubisoft officials, such as CEO Yves Guillemot, who asserted that microtransactions enhance player satisfaction by facilitating faster game progression and avatar customization.

Since 2017, Ubisoft has noted that their revenue from “player recurring investments”—encompassing downloadable content, microtransactions, and loot boxes—has eclipsed revenue from digital game sales. Specifically, in the initial part of 2025, the company recorded earnings of €475.3 million from these investments compared to €312.7 million in the earlier year.

This profitability is underscored when examining the cosmetic microtransactions tied to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Currently available options include several cosmetic sets priced at 2300 Helix Credits ($19.99 USD) each, and others for 1000 Helix Credits (around $10).

Despite many gamers expressing discontent with microtransactions, developers who restrict such purchases to cosmetic items, as opposed to pay-to-win options, often alleviate community frustration. Some players lament the bygone era when unlockables were tied solely to game achievements. However, if Ubisoft can maintain a balance between offering free content while implementing optional microtransactions, it may satisfy both proponents and detractors of this model.