Summary
- A lot of people are very angry that Ubisoft apologised to its Japanese players for missteps, interpreting this as capitulating to right-wing anger over its Black protagonist.
- However, the statement never actually apologises for this, but it does double down on reminding players that these games are fiction. Historical fiction, yes, but still fiction.
- Some criticism from Japanese players is valid and should be addressed, and it seems that Ubisoft might actually be referring to this instead.
has 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:released a statement about , which has been the subject of highly controversial swirling discourse over its historical authenticity. I say that somewhat facetiously – much of the hubbub, especially in Western gaming spaces, over its ‘issues with authenticity’ has nothing to do with Assassin’s Creed players wanting actual historical fact in the game, since the series notoriously plays fast and loose wi🥂th historical accuracy. It’s really mostly a smoke screen for racism, because one of the game’s protago𒁏nists is Black, and the game is releasing in the midst of the rebirth of GamerGate.
This statement has rankled people on all sides, it seems. I’ve already seen several thinkpieces calling Ubisoft’s statement weird and unne♕cessary, lambasting the company for acknowledging the bigoted arguments as legitimate. I understand this point of view much better than the responses I’ve seen from the other side, which is that Ubisoft apologised. It did 𒉰not.
Ubisoft Clearly Stands By Its Choices
Far be it from me to defend a corporation’s PR statement, but we should be looking at what the statement in question actually says. The first quarter of the statement reiterat🅺es that the series explores various settings and time periods, says that it acknowledges the positive reactions and criticism from Japanese players, and that it respects these players’ “care for the historical and cultural integrity of your rich heritage”.
The second quarter says that while there’s been effort put into “ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan”, Assassin’s Creed is still fiction. It’s a video game that t🌊ells historical fiction, and the studi🐻o collaborates with external consultants to inform creative choices.
The third apologises for elements in the promotional materials, likely referring to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:tꦺhe stolen flag used in its concept art and published in its artbooks. It also says that the game will keep evolving till launch, that it is listening to constructive criticism, and that this criticism should not be directed at collaborators, especially towards external collaborators who ar𝓡e “in no way responsible for the decisions that are taken by the creative teams&⛎rdquo;.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Was Always Going To Be Queer
If you t🍎hink otherwise, you probably didn’t play t🌠he games.
The statement finishes off by doubling down on the fiction aspღect of these games, but acknowledges that Yasuke’s status as a samurai is a “matter of debate and discussion”. According to Ubisoft, this is woven “carefully” into the narrative. It reiterates that Ubisoft values the feedback 🍰and encourages the respectful sharing of opinions.
What has Ubisoft actually said with this statement? Not much, really. Most of it reinforces the argument that this is fiction, acknowledging that there’s discourse about the historical accuracy, but importantly, saying that this hಞas already been considered and woven into the narrative. I’m not seeing any apologies apart from for th🅘e stolen flag in the promotional material. It feels like this statement is less of a capitulation than Ubisoft saying it stands by its decisions.
It’s also worth saying here that the producer has already 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:hit back at the backlash and CEO Yves Guillemot has denounceဣd the “hateful acts” towards the devs and the studio.
Japanese Criticism Isn’t The Same As Western Criticism
There’s some important context here that a lot of people are missing: the majority of Japanese criticism of the game, , revolves around architectural and cultural inaccuracies and not the inclusion of Yasuke. Some examples I’ve seen cited are the use of tori gates🅠 as entryways (inappropriate), inaccurate use of Kanji, and the aforementioned stolen imagery. These are fair criticisms – the Japanese culture should be represented as faithfully as possible, and these mistakes reveal a lack of scrutiny on the part of the dev team.
Furthermore, a lot of the negative tweets circulated come from members or supporters of Japan&rs𝐆quo;s right-wing NHK party, who are generally Japanese nationalists. This party doesn’t represent the Japanese people as a whole, and saying it does would be incredibly disingenuous – the party has long been considered a fringe or even joke party, and its members are often controversial internet celebrities. These people are the cultural equivalent of Andrew Tate, except with less clout.
With this in mind, it isn’t entirely accurate to characterise Ubisoft’s statement as an apology to grifters who are manufacturing rage over Yasuke’🀅s presence in a video game. The statement seems to be more split down the middle, acknowledging Japanese players’ legitimate gripes while very nicely asking these people to stop attacking devs and their collaborators. Racists are just seeing it as an apology because they want to believe that they can change games with pure, unadulterated hatred and harassment.
While the statement does very little to actually stop hate groups from lashin💞g out under the guise of caring about historical accuracy, it’s definitely not an apology for including a Black person in a video game, and I’m perplexed that there are people framing it this way. Of course I wish that Ubisoft had disavowed these groups, but we really shouldn’t be pinning our hopes on corporations to do that, considering their ultimate priority is always their bottom lines. Regardless, it seems that Ubisoft has just made everyone angrier. Perhaps it would have been bett𝄹er if it hadn’t said anything at all.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 81%
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gor๊e, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- 🅷 Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- AnvilNext
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.
• Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
• Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
• Cౠreate a fully cꦚustomizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
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