Ubisoft has released a statement after footage of Assassin’s Creed Shadows drew criticism for how it depicted Feudal Japan.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in the Feudal era of Japan (1185 – 1603) and follows two different characters; shinobi assassin Naoe and samurai Yasuke. Yasuke is named after a historical figure known as “the black samurai” who lived in Japan during the Sengoku period.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is due for release later this year but the game has already received a lot of criticism for how it’s portraying an era of Japanese history. Fans have found a number of historical inaccuracies with architecture, flags and design while the inclusion of a Black character in a game set in Asia has also sparked conversation about representation.
Since the game was first announced, a number of fans have also brought Yasuke’s status as a samurai into question, despite leading historians saying there is no debate about his status.
なんか、織田信長に仕えた黒人の弥助の話題になっているみたい。彼に関する史料はかなり乏しいが、信長に仕える「侍」身分であったことはまちがいなかろう。出身の身分がどうであれ、主人が「侍」分に取り立てれば、そうなれたのが中世（戦国）社会。なんでそんなことが言えるかといえば、①信長より「…
— K・HIRAYAMA (@HIRAYAMAYUUKAIN) July 19, 2024
Taking to social media, Ubisoft has now shared a statement addressing the concerns. “We have put significant effort into ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan. However, 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. Instead, we aim to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings we get inspired by,” they wrote.
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“Assassin’s Creed Shadows is first and foremost, designed to be an entertaining video game that tells a compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan.”
i have regrettably logged back into twitter to talk about this re: sentiment from the japanese community. a lot of complaints are focused around the inappropriate use of specific flags, etc. and the construction of buildings being wrong re: architecture. https://t.co/UfUsxLkgKj
— Kazuma Hashimoto (@JusticeKazzy_) July 23, 2024
“From its inception, the series has taken creative licence and incorporated fantasy elements to craft engaging and immersive experiences. The representation of Yasuke in our game is an illustration of this,” continued the statement. “His unique and mysterious life made him an ideal candidate to tell an Assassin’s Creed story with the setting of Feudal Japan as a backdrop. 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.”
Ubisoft went on to say it had worked with a range of external consultants, historians, researchers, and their internal teams at Ubisoft Japan to “inform” the creative choices made for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. “Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologise,” wrote Ubisoft, who will “evolve” the game before it launches.
However, the studio has been criticised for its “cowardly” apology. “This is pure cowardice. Yasuke was a samurai. There isn’t debate. He got a house, a stipend and a sword. The weird kowtowing to whiny online racists is just… sad,” wrote one fan on X. “Overall this is a thoughtful statement, but framing Yasuke’s samurai status as a debatable thing emboldens the grifters and diminishes the impact a story like this has,” said another.
Earlier this year, Ubisoft was forced to apologise after using the flag of a re-enactment group in the game, without their permission.
In other news, Microsoft has confirmed that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is coming to the subscription-based Xbox Game Pass service.