Cancelled Tokyo Gameshow Appearance and Even More Stumbles... Can Ubisoft Do Anything Right? TLDR: No.
Ubisoft is no stranger to controversy, but their latest entry into the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is plagued by missteps at literally every turn. From its troubled announcement of Yasuke as the main protagonist to the latest scandal involving a tone-deaf figurine, Ubisoft just can’t seem to get it right. The studio’s decision to cancel their stream at the Tokyo Game Show, a pivotal event for promoting Shadows, is just another sign that this game is heading down a rocky road - and doesn't spell great news for future sales prospects...
The Tokyo Game Show No-Show
Just days before the event, Ubisoft suddenly pulled out of their planned Tokyo Game Show stream, citing "various circumstances" without providing any further explanation.
This wild decision comes at a crucial time, just two months before the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a game set in Japan—of all places. If Ubisoft was hoping to build ANY excitement for the game in its setting’s native country, this was their moment. Instead, they withdrew, leaving fans and industry insiders wondering if they’re simply trying to avoid more bad press. I'm leaning towards yes... BIG TIME.
It’s not hard to speculate that the cancellation is related to the controversies surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft’s vague explanation (translated to English above) does little to quell concerns, and many believe they’re trying to avoid further blowback from Japanese audiences who have already voiced their displeasure with the game’s portrayal of their culture and history.
Yasuke and Naoe: A Backlash Brewing
From the moment Ubisoft revealed Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game was mired in controversy. The dual protagonists—Yasuke, based on the real historical figure, and Naoe, a fictional female shinobi—sparked immediate backlash. Why choose a fictional female to play alongside a real-life black protagonist? It's clear as day that Ubisoft was going over-the-top attempting to inject DEI into their game. While Assassin’s Creed has always played fast and loose with historical accuracy, many, especially Japanese fans felt that this latest entry took too many liberties. A petition even circulated calling for the game’s cancellation, with concerns over how Japanese culture and history were being represented.
Yasuke, while technically, a 'historical' figure, has always been a polarizing character in Japanese media. Ubisoft’s extremely questionable choice to pair him with a fictional female shinobi was seen as an unnecessary addition, one that felt more like a modern attempt to tick diversity boxes than to faithfully depict Japan’s history.
Ubisoft’s response didn’t help matters. In July, they issued a vague apology to the Japanese community, acknowledging that:
"some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern."
However, their statement wasn't an apology, it was a 'clarification', and it only served to make things worse, as it lacked any real substance or action, further fueling the ongoing outrage.
The Latest Scandal: The “One-Leg Torii” Figurine
As if things couldn’t get any worse for Ubisoft, now, the latest controversy comes in the form of a figurine released to promote Assassin’s Creed Shadows:
The figurine in question depicts a destroyed torii gate, a symbolic structure often seen at the entrances of Shinto shrines. But this isn’t just any torii gate—according to Shin on Twitter/X, the design is eerily similar to the “One-Leg Torii,” a gate that survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945.
Twitter user @r230614_shin sparked outrage when they tweeted:
Please spread the word
Assassin's Creed Shadows figures from Ubisoft, a famous Japanese hate and criminal company
A figurine of a destroyed torii gate has been released, which is believed to be based on the "One-Leg Torii" gate that was destroyed in the Nagasaki atomic bombing.
I have never seen a "One-Legged Torii" other than the one destroyed by the American atomic bomb in Nagasaki.
The tweet quickly gained traction, with gamers now accusing Ubisoft of gross insensitivity.
The torii gate in Nagasaki is a solemn reminder of one of the darkest chapters in human history, and using its likeness for a video game promotion is not only tone-deaf but deeply offensive to many, especially Japanese citizens... Should anyone be surprised at this point with Ubisoft?
A Pattern of Missteps
This isn’t the first time Ubisoft has found itself embroiled in controversy, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows is shaping up to be another example of how out of touch the company can be with cultural sensitivities. From the poorly received announcement of the game’s dual protagonists to the now tone-deaf release of the “One-Leg Torii” figurine, Ubisoft seems to be digging a deeper hole for themselves as they go... with every move.
And now, with their sudden withdrawal from the Tokyo Game Show, it feels like Ubisoft is trying to dodge responsibility rather than face any backlash head-on. The Japanese gaming community is already extremely skeptical of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and pulling out of one of the biggest gaming events in Japan is not a good look for a game set in their country.
It’s an opportunity missed, and a PR disaster in the making.
Can Assassin’s Creed Shadows Be Saved?
At this point, it’s hard to imagine Assassin’s Creed Shadows making a successful recovery. With controversies piling up, from historical accuracy issues to culturally insensitive marketing, Ubisoft is facing an impossible-to-win battle - and one of their very own making. The Tokyo Game Show could have been a chance to rebuild goodwill with the Japanese gaming community, but nope - instead, Ubisoft chose to pull out, leaving fans with more questions than answers.
As the November 15 release date approaches, it’s unclear how Ubisoft will manage to steer the conversation back toward the game itself. One thing's certain: Ubisoft has a LOT of work to do to regain the trust of its audience, and with the way things are going, it seems like that reality is an impossibility.
~Smash
Am just at loss for words about this newest scandal, this has to be intentional. I mean they can't be this dense, these woke people thought they were doing the Japanese people a favor by boycotting ghost of tushima. But this I'd like see how they justify this. This kind of obtuse and neglect behavior cannot be rewarded
The sheer arrogance of the French, especially it's women, simply knows no bounds.