Ubisoft has a lot riding on “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” as the company faces an uncertain future after several flops and misfires. The first-person competitive shooter “XDefiant” and the open-world sailing adventure “Skull and Bones” failed to take off while “Star Wars Outlaws” didn’t sell as well as predicted.

Ubisoft is banking on the success of "Assassin's Creed Shadows" to fight its way out of financial troubles as the French videogame publisher grapples with falling revenue, a sinking stock price and takeover speculation.

As Assassin's Creed Shadows approaches, the franchise and Ubisoft prepare to enter uncharted, possibly game-changing waters.