Ubisoft is addressing backlash it’s received from players about one of Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ main characters with a lengthy statement concerning how it handles history.
The studio released the statement on X (formerly Twitter) and on its website, saying that it’s received criticism from a lot of areas, including Japanese players who leveled accusations at the developer for skewing history with Yasuke, a legendary African samurai who’s one of the game’s two main playable characters, the other being the Japanese shinobi Naoe. In response, Ubisoft stated that its Assassin’s Creed games are primarily historical fiction made with the help of historians, other experts, and in-depth research.
“Our intention has never been to present any of our Assassin’s Creed games, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as factual representations of history, or historical characters,” the statement reads. “Instead, we aim to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings we get inspired by … Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologize.”
It also dropped a hint about what to expect from the game, teasing that the mystery surrounding Yasuke’s actual life is a part of the story. “While Yasuke is depicted as a samurai in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we acknowledge that this is a matter of debate and discussion. We have woven this carefully into our narrative and with our other lead character, the Japanese shinobi Naoe, who is equally important in the game.”
The Assassin's Creed Shadows team has a message for our Japanese community. pic.twitter.com/AIyWNU9YhG
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) July 23, 2024
Ubisoft’s sometimes loose interpretation of historical events is being called into question in relation to Yasuke. While there isn’t a lot of documentation about Yasuke’s life — including some basics like whether he was a samurai at all — we know that he existed and worked for Oda Nobunaga. In the official Assassin’s Creed Shadows announcement, Ubisoft wrote that Yasuke was a “real-life historical samurai,” and that it’s the first time the company has gone with a real-world figure as an Assassin’s Creed protagonist.
Similarly, in an interview with Xbox Wire, game director Charles Benoit said, “Assassin’s Creed is well known for its depiction of the history and accurate recreation of the world and it’s what players can expect with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.”
This isn’t the first time, however, that Ubisoft has made a point about its works being fiction. It starts each Assassin’s Creed game with a disclaimer that says they’re works of fiction “inspired by historical events and characters.” The world it’s built on is filled with magic and mythology — it’s not exactly subtle about how it uses actual history.
Backlash hasn’t just been coming from Japanese players; it’s landed in the center of a Western culture war. X owner Elon Musk took to his platform to post that “DEI kills art,” after the Shadows announcement. Series vice president executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté told Gamefile (as reported on by other outlets like GamesRadar) that he was going to respond, but took a step back.
“For me, Elon, it’s sad, he’s just feeding hatred. I had a lot of three word replies that came to mind,” he said.