Ubisoft hoped that a free DLC would give Assassin’s Creed Mirage a second life as the franchise’s big back-to-its-roots experiment, but the reality on Steam is hard to ignore: the new content peaked at just over 1,000 concurrent users, turning what was meant to be a confidence boost into yet another entry on the publisher’s growing list of underwhelming releases.
From the moment it was announced, Assassin’s Creed Mirage was framed as the game that would drag the series back to its stealth-focused foundations and dial down the heavy-RPG approach of recent years. On paper this sounded like exactly what long-time fans wanted, yet once the game arrived, it quickly became clear that, while it was a competent-enough release, it did not spark the kind of renewed enthusiasm Ubisoft was banking on.
Looking at Steam alone, Assassin’s Creed Mirage stands out as one of the weakest-performing entries in the modern era of the franchise. Compared to the latest installments, it has drawn far fewer players, and the launch of a free DLC failed to change that picture in any meaningful way, nudging the peak player count to only a little above 1,000 users.
What These Numbers Really Say About Mirage?
For years, a vocal part of the community has pushed back against Ubisoft’s shift toward sprawling, RPG-heavy design, arguing that the series was losing what made it special in the first place. Mirage was supposed to answer that criticism by delivering a more compact, classic-style Assassin’s Creed experience, so the weak response to its free DLC is particularly telling.
The newly released Valley of Memory expansion arrived just a few days ago, and its debut on Steam was muted at best. The free-DLC launch lifted the game’s peak to just over 1,000 concurrent players, a figure that lines up neatly with the generally lukewarm reception Mirage has faced since release.
In raw terms, Assassin’s Creed Mirage reached a peak of around 7,000 players on Steam, which is far below the highs achieved by Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Valhalla, Odyssey or Origins, even though the former currently enjoys a “Mostly Positive” rating on the platform. The contrast makes it clear that goodwill toward the brand does not automatically translate into strong engagement.
Ironically, the DLC itself is not the problem. In many respects, it feels closer to the franchise’s earlier identity: the gameplay leans on familiar stealth tools and classic mechanics, and the story is competent enough to carry a short, focused slice of content.
The sticking point for many players remains Basim as a main character. A sizable chunk of the fanbase believes he is the least distinctive protagonist the series has had in years, despite the fact that he was widely liked as a supporting figure in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and that lack of charisma makes it harder for any new content to generate real excitement.
Source: tech4gamers
