The release of a movie can resurrect an eight-year-old game without the production company spending millions on advertising. That's exactly what happened with Assassin's Creed Odyssey after Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey" premiered on July 17. We at TechNoid analyze the real data behind the engagement boom and the strategic opportunities that arise.
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey saw a 90% increase in daily active users (DAUs) immediately following the premiere of Christopher Nolan's film "Odyssey."
- The subscription platforms Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus acted as the main catalyst, doubling the number of players on consoles.
- This increase demonstrates the power of the Transmedia Effect, giving Ubisoft the appropriate data to approve a remaster like “AC Odyssey Resynced”.
How the movie sparked the game
Despite limited promotion from Ubisoft — which was limited to a few posts like the related Assassin's Creed X post— the public response was immediate. According to an official analysis of the Alinea Analytics, the game saw an overall 90% increase in engagement in Steam, PlayStation and Xbox.
Daily active users (DAUs) skyrocketed from 122.000 on the day of the premiere to 233.000 in just ten days. This is a 1,8x increase compared to the levels before the film was released in theaters.
The most interesting thing is that sales of the title have remained low, at around 400.000 copies since the beginning of the year. This means that people didn't rush to buy an eight-year-old game, but rather went back to a title they already had in their library or subscription.
Subscription services: The real catalyst
The biggest increase was seen on Xbox, where daily users increased by 134%, from 36.000 to 84.000. On PlayStation, the number of players almost doubled to 114.000, while on Steam the increase was more modest, at 26%.
Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, attributed this difference between consoles and PC solely to subscription services. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is included in both the Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium catalogs.
These findings are also confirmed by independent data from the Video Game Insights platform , which recorded an increase in total DAUs from 150.000 to 238.000 by July 26. When the price barrier is eliminated through a subscription, cultural relevance immediately translates into engagement time.
| Platform | DAUs (Before Movie) | DAUs (10 Days Later) | Metobeli (%) | Key Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox | 36.000 | 84.000 | + 134 % | Xbox Game Pass |
| PlayStation | ~ 60.000 | 114.000 | + 90 % | PlayStation Plus Extras |
| Steam(PC) | 26.000 | 35.000 | + 26 % | Direct Purchases/Wishlist |
The Fallout phenomenon and the Transmedia Effect
This consumer behavior is not an isolated incident. Similar patterns were observed during the Fallout series on Prime Video. After the series premiered, active users for Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 increased by 225% in the following weeks.
Additionally, concurrent players on Steam doubled, rising from an average of 20.000 to over 40.000. Unlike Odyssey, Bethesda's franchise also saw a sharp increase in sales, especially for Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4.
The difference is that Fallout was accompanied by aggressive discounts on digital platforms. Ubisoft, while not coordinating a broad campaign, benefited from the passive power of subscriptions on consoles.
Ubisoft's next strategic move
As Rhys Elliott notes, this data offers Ubisoft the appropriate “munition” for approving an “AC Odyssey Resynced” — that is, a remaster or an upgraded version for current-gen consoles with 60fps, ray tracing, and zero loading times.
This example proves that older games (catalog titles) are valuable assets when associated with pop culture. Instead of the costly development of a new game from scratch, maintaining and promoting existing titles offers a high profit margin.
However, the absence of a targeted in-game event or related DLC discount during the film's screening shows that Ubisoft missed an opportunity to directly monetize this wave of interest.
Our opinion at TechNoid
We at TechNoid believe that Ubisoft was slow to grasp the power of transmedia marketing. The success of AC Odyssey due to Nolan’s film happened almost “by accident” for the company, thanks to the availability of the title on Game Pass and PS Plus. If Ubisoft had prepared a free PS5 / Xbox Series X upgrade patch alongside the premiere, the spike in engagement would have turned into millions of dollars in direct sales of microtransactions and DLCs. The lesson for the industry is clear: subscriptions don’t kill sales, but they keep games alive for the moment when the wider pop culture decides to remember them.
Frequently Asked Questions about the AC Odyssey phenomenon
How much did Assassin's Creed Odyssey players increase after the movie?
Daily active users (DAUs) increased by 90% overall, rising from 122.000 to 233.000 within 10 days of the premiere.
Which platform saw the biggest increase in players?
Xbox recorded the largest increase with +134%, due to the game's immediate availability in the Xbox Game Pass catalog.
Did the game's sales increase or just player participation?
The increase was mainly due to engagement. Sales were moderate (around 400.000 copies YTD), as players mainly used subscription services.
What is the role of Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus in this phenomenon?
They allowed users to immediately download the game at no additional cost, eliminating the financial barrier of purchasing an old title.
What is the Transmedia Effect in video games?
It is the sudden increase in interest and players of a game when a related film, series or television adaptation is released.
Is there a possibility of a remaster of Assassin's Creed Odyssey?
The engagement data gives Ubisoft strong arguments for developing an upgraded version (AC Odyssey Resynced) for the new generation consoles.
How does AC Odyssey's growth compare to that of Fallout?
Fallout saw even greater growth (+225% in DAUs), as Bethesda combined the series' exposure with aggressive price discounts on digital platforms.
