It appears that there may be concerns about Ubisoft's approach under its current leadership. There is a sense that they may use marketing strategies and free DLC offers to manage criticism and drive pre-sales. Some may believe that the best way to encourage them to respect their customers and heed feedback is by refraining from pre-ordering the game.
Looking ahead, it's possible that if pre-sales figures do not meet expectations by February, there could be a decision to postpone the game's release date once again.