Ubisoft’s latest entry in the Assassin's Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has been mired in controversy from the jump… But with each passing day, it feels like a new, more ridiculous controversy gets exposed.
The game, which takes players to a ‘fantasy?’ version of feudal Japan, initially drew some excitement.. but soon faced backlash over various issues. First, Assassin's Creed Shadows faced criticism for alterations to Wikipedia entries about Yasuke, the historical black slave in Japan that worked hand in hand with the real Samurai. This was an odd choice to begin with, but the little known historical evidence for his existence was enough for Ubisoft to run with - to align with their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) narrative, seemingly attempting to rewrite history to fit their modern agenda.
Then, Ubisoft was accused of stealing a banner from a Japanese group without permission (which Ubisoft acknowledged and apologized for), escalating tensions further. The outrage among Japanese gamers has been growing rapidly - leading to a petition to halt the game's release quickly approaching 100,000 signatures (84,155 at the time of publication) — a move that has gained enough momentum to attract governmental scrutiny in Japan.
Marketing efforts for Assassin's Creed Shadows have been equally gross...
Now, Ubisoft is being accused of using a katana design… strikingly similar to one featured in the popular anime One Piece. They also show a generic Japanese woman porcelain doll, one that can easily be purchased on Amazon right now.
Nothing unique or original, even though they're clearly trying to play it off like it is... But this is Ubisoft, should we expect any better at this point?
This latest incident just compounds frustrations, with gamers criticizing Ubisoft for what they perceive as a lack of originality and more importantly, lack of respect for the cultural elements they’re portraying.
Promotional items for the game, intended to be showcased at pre-launch events - specifically the Japan Expo as Ubisoft tagged in their tweet, have been identified as generic products purchasable on Amazon, further indicating an even deeper and more grotesque lack of effort and authenticity in the game's marketing campaign.
Behind the scenes, Ubisoft's connections with Sweet Baby Inc., founded by former Ubisoft narrative designer Kim Belair, have also drawn scrutiny as well. Sweet Baby Inc. has been involved in consulting on DEI aspects for various organizations, including past partnerships with Ubisoft.
Critics argue that Assassin's Creed Shadows appears to be heavily influenced by DEI consulting, leading to what some like myself would describe as a "DEI-injected nightmare." This collaboration has been particularly controversial due to the game's decision to feature a black samurai as its protagonist, a choice that... has continued to spark debates about historical accuracy and cultural representation, to put it nicely.
The decision to set an Assassin’s Creed game in Japan was initially met with enthusiasm for its potential to explore rich historical narratives. However, that enthusiasm quickly burned out as the execution has been widely criticized for its perceived cultural insensitivity and mishandling of Japanese samurai traditions.
The continuous blunders—from the DEI controversy to the alleged theft of intellectual property—have not only damaged the game's reputation but also raised questions about Ubisoft’s respect for the cultures it seeks to represent. Its almost like they’ve taken the approach of “you’re a bigot if you disagree with our narrative”. This could be seen as an attack against the player base… and that won’t go over well.
As Assassin's Creed Shadows approaches its release, the mounting controversies serve as a great reminder of the challenges and responsibilities that come with depicting historical and cultural narratives in video games. Instead of brazenly pushing forward with an agenda, perhaps companies like Ubisoft will learn from this DEI-first grotesque mistake… if their business can even survive the hit it takes.
Ubisoft now faces the task of addressing these criticisms while attempting to regain the trust of its audience, a feat that may require more than just ‘superficial’ changes to its marketing and design strategies. Based on what we’ve seen thus far… they have a long way to go.
~Smash
The photo of Ubisoft tells you all you need to know. A room full of white women trying to “smash the patriarchy.”
It never ceases to amaze me at how stupid/ Irresponsible gaming companies have been acting due to all the DEI Bullcrap that they have chosen to get behind, even though they are finding out what happens when you introduce Shitty Sexual identity programs like DEI and you Fuck around & find out which UbiSoft is surely finding out the hard way
I've been saying for YEARS that Assassin's Creed/Ubisoft is trash, but y'all just keep getting your hopes up...
🤦♂️ If I didn’t understand the company Ubisoft has become I’d probably feel bad for them. Stomping on all these rakes in one game is a huge embarrassment.