Wait... Sony Was SHOCKED At Ghost of Yōtei Gamer Backlash...?

Just the other day, I was on a livestream on Valliant Renegade's channel with a bunch of awesome folks, one of which who was Endymion. We discussed the ongoing situations at Sony surrounding the upcoming Ghost of Yōtei and specifically, how his insider informed him how Sony was taken back ...at a number of things. During the stream, Endymion said that Sony executives were allegedly blindsided by the introduction of a female protagonist in the game.

Let me be clear—first off - I find part of this extremely suspect.

Ghost of Yōtei is being developed by Sucker Punch, which is a Sony studio (Sony acquired them back in 2011), and it takes years to produce a game of this magnitude. Are we really supposed to believe that Sony had no idea about the main character’s gender?

"Sony apparently weren't too knowledgeable on the game; they were under the impression that they were going to get another Ghost of Tsushima. So when they saw Atsu—that's the new main character, the woman—they were like, 'What is this?' Internally

~Endymion

To put it bluntly, the idea that a massive corporate entity like Sony, with all its oversight and investment, was unaware that Sucker Punch was making Atsu—the new female character—the protagonist is simply beyond unbelievable. Sony isn't a hands-off publisher; they're deeply involved in the projects of their studios from inception to release. Not that I think Endymion is straight up lying here, but there's got to be some sort of lost info in the conversation. This would be unreal. They provide funding, they control milestones, and they hold a significant degree of creative control. The idea that Sucker Punch could have "blindsided" Sony with the protagonist's identity at the trailer release stage debuting at a State of Play that Sony themselves puts together and compiles... is just laughable.

What I do find believable, though, is that Sony was genuinely shocked by the backlash. The executives are either super out of touch—or didn't care—that the actual audience wasn't on board with this direction.

He went on to say:

When they saw the backlash to Yōtei, they were not happy at all. They really thought they had the next big hit."

Sony's response, or rather, lack of anticipation in regards to fan reactions, reveals just how out of touch they are with the gaming community. Ghost of Tsushima has an incredibly loyal fanbase, one that fell in love with Jin Sakai's story. We wanted MORE of that. Changing the focus to a new character—especially one with a very different background and gender—was bound to be contentious, particularly for a franchise with such a dedicated following. Not to mention the actress is an activist, not helping the situation by proactively blocking so many people on Twitter that she was actually blocking some folks that were defending her...

The reactions to the Ghost of Yōtei trailer tell the story clearly - like mine from above... I'm still so torn about all this. Many of us felt abandoned, lamenting the departure from Jin's journey, while others have compared the move to Ubisoft's DEI-focused decision-making in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The parallels were drawn quickly, and the criticisms were harsh, with many pointing out that Sony's diversity and inclusion policies seemed to have directly influenced the game's direction.

Ghost of Yōtei is surrounded in controversy already- due to the casting of Erika Ishii as Atsu. Ishii's activism, which includes her extremely vocal support for defunding the police and strong opinions on transgender rights. Sony should have anticipated that casting an outspoken activist with such pivotal roles and how they would invite scrutiny, especially given the charged climate around the gaming industry's intersection with social issues these days. The backlash wasn’t just about the character; it was about the perception that Sony was pushing a broader agenda, one that fans weren’t necessarily interested in being a part of... and we all know how that ends...

Former Sony Chairman Shawn Layden's response didn't help matters either (above). Telling people who dislike the changes to "just not buy it" ... It just solidifies the perception even more that Sony in general is indifferent to the desires of its player base. It's the same kind of dismissive attitude that we've seen time and time again, where valid criticism is written off as toxic or irrelevant. Their arrogance isn't new, but it’s precisely why Sony and Sucker Punch seemed surprised by the backlash—because they assumed gamers would either embrace the changes or stay quiet.

In our livestream discussion, Endymion highlighted how insiders were shocked by the confusion that resulted from the trailer. Mid-level Sony employees reportedly thought Ghost of Yōtei would be a direct sequel focused on Jin Sakai. The reality that Sony wasn't even communicating its creative choices internally is just insane to me. This miscommunication and surprise reaction show that Sony is struggling to align its corporate vision with the expectations of gamers, and it seems like no lessons were learned from previous controversies like The Last of Us Part II...

In the end, it's clear that the higher-ups at Sony are seemingly losing touch with what players want. They underestimated the connection fans had with Jin Sakai and overestimated the enthusiasm for a dramatic shift to a new protagonist. This isn't just a creative misfire—it's an example of how poorly managed communication, both within a company and with its fanbase, can derail a major game release even months prior to launch. While Ghost of Yōtei may indeed still find its audience, it's clear that Sony's gamble is costing them in terms of loyalty and trust. And considering the mixed reactions and internal confusion, this entire episode is just one more sign of how disconnected they’ve become from the players that built their success...

~Smash