Ubisoft has made it clear that the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows shouldn’t be directly compared to Valhalla. The company highlighted that Valhalla launched under unique circumstances, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a so-called “perfect storm” that benefited its release.

In an internal email referenced by IGN, Ubisoft explained to its employees that the comparison doesn’t hold up because Valhalla debuted during an extraordinary time of lockdowns and the arrival of new console hardware.

Ubisoft stated, “It was a perfect storm we may never see again.” Regardless, Shadows is still recognized as the second-largest launch in the history of the series, and feedback for the game has reportedly been favorable, especially on platforms less affected by review bombing.

The company has urged its employees to measure Shadows against entries like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released in standard cycles, asserting that its performance is setting a new bar for the franchise.