"While the game is feature complete, the learnings from the Star Wars Outlaws release led us to provide additional time to further polish the title," the firm explained. "This will enable the biggest entry in the franchise to fully deliver on its ambition, notably by fulfilling the promise of our dual protagonist adventure, with Naoe and Yasuke bringing two very different gameplay styles."
Elsewhere, the organization said it will deviate from its traditional Season Pass model, with everyone who pre-orders able to experience the release's first expansion for free. There'll be no Early Access either: everyone will be able to play on the same day, from 14th February.
Sony announced Ghost of Yotei overnight, a rival open world game set in historical Japan. While this is unlikely to have influenced Ubisoft's decision, the existence of the Sucker Punch sequel will potentially have some impact on Assassin's Creed Shadows – especially with a 2025 release window attached to the PS5 exclusive.