Summary
Ubisoft has responded to the backlash surrounding its upcomingAssassin’s Creed Shadowsgame. After many years of fans being extremely vocal in their desire for the history-hopping series to visit Feudal Japan, Japanese fans have raised concerns surrounding the depiction of the country and its culture at this time, notably with regard to the appearance of Yasuke, an African man who was one of Oda Nobunaga’s attendants but has been depicted as a samurai in the game.
Taking to the officialAssassin’s CreedX account, Ubisoft has addressed this controversy, stating that the company “deeply respects” the care Japan has for its rich heritage, but despite aiming to encourage players to learn more about the historical settings depicted in the game, the intention behind theAssassin’s Creedtitles has been to tell a “compelling, historical fiction,” rather than factual representations of history.
The studio then went on to explain that it has “extensively collaborated” with external consultants, historians, researchers, and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan to inform any creative choices. It also went on to address that while Yasuke is depicted as a samurai inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, the studio acknowledges that this is “a matter of debate and discussion” due to the real-life figure’s “unique and mysterious life” and this has been woven into the game’s narrative.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Release Date, Protagonists, Setting, & Story
The first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows reveals its release date, dual protagonists, and the first inklings of a story. Here’s what to expect.
The Petition To Cancel Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Nearing 100K Signatures
And A Member Of The Japanese Government Launched An Investigation
As a response to footage shown of the title, apetition was launched to cancel the gamein June 2024.This soon picked up traction and has nearly reached 100,000 signaturesat the time of writing. The petition states that Japanese samurai were “a higher class of warrior class and should have been “gokenin” or servants of nobles” and accused Ubisoft of “misunderstanding the nature and role of samurai.”
This got to the point thata member of theJapanese government even launched an investigationinto the title, intending to bring it before the country’s legislative body, the Japanese Diet, as he criticized Ubisoft for “not admitting to its mistakes” in a series of posts on X. Ubisoft’s latest statement acknowledges that all footage of the title presented so far is in development, and assures fans that it will “keep evolving” until launch, based on the constructive criticism the studio has received.
Source:Assassin’s Creed/X
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Set during Japan’s Sengoku period, two distinct protagonists—Naoe, a shinobi, and Yasuke, a historical African samurai—must navigate political intrigue and violent clashes between the Assassins and Templars. Players can switch between stealthy, shadow-based gameplay with Naoe and Yasuke’s direct combat approach, exploring the duality of their missions in a beautifully rendered open world.
