Highlights
- Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot condemns “malicious” backlash against Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
- Critics question historical accuracy and DEI influences on the game’s protagonists.
- Despite controversy, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ collector’s edition sells out and pre-orders for the standard version are doing well.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has denounced the widespread backlash against Assassin’s Creed Shadows, calling it “malicious” and “hateful.” Ever since its initial reveal back in May, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been entrenched in extensive controversy due to its protagonists – African samurai Yasuke and female Japanese shinobi Naoe.
Concerns about historical accuracy and external influences have been the driving forces behind the mass pushback against Assassin’s Creed Shadows, with many doubting Yasuke as a real samurai from Japanese history. Even Twitter owner Elon Musk chimed in on the matter, asserting that “DEI kills art.” DEI stands for “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and is a modern organizational framework adopted by several companies in varying degrees to support fair treatment and full participation of all people, especially subsets that have been underrepresented in the past.
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While there’s nothing official to suggest that the developers’ creative choices surrounding the protagonists are driven by DEI, it appears the complaints against Assassin’s Creed Shadows have mounted enough for Ubisoft’s top brass to take notice. During a recently published company Q&A, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot derogated the “malicious and personal online attacks” directed toward employees of the organization. “I want to make it clear that we, at Ubisoft, condemn these hateful acts in the strongest possible terms, and I encourage the rest of the industry and players to denounce them, too,” remarked Guillemot.
Ubisoft’s CEO Is Not Happy With “Hateful” Assassin’s Creed Shadows Discourse
Interestingly, this isn’t even the first time the company has officially responded to the objections. A few weeks ago, Ubisoft also refuted Musk’s comments about Assassin’s Creed Shadows, labeling them “sad” and stating that the billionaire is “feeding hatred.” Prior insight from the developers already revealed that Yasuke’s inclusion in the game was a simple consequence of historical research about feudal Japan, not a DEI-centric choice. Guillemot further backing Ubisoft Quebec’s creative vision for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a sight rarely seen in the games industry, but one that shows confidence.
I want to make it clear that we, at Ubisoft, condemn these hateful acts in the strongest possible terms, and I encourage the rest of the industry and players to denounce them, too.
Although online discourse has been quite negative, it appears there may be a healthy amount of intrigue from the wider audience about playing as Yasuke and Naoe since Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ $280 collector’s edition sold out in major regions almost immediately after it was available. In addition, pre-orders for the standard version are seemingly doing well, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows currently ranking #27 among Amazon Japan’s best-selling PlayStation 5 titles. All that remains to be seen is how the game fares both critically and commercially after its November 12 launch, and whether the online complaints impact its reception.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the fourteenth major installment in the Assassin’s Creed Franchise and this time takes place in Feudal Japan. The release includes new mechanics like crawling and allows players to swap between characters to complete the main storyline.
- Released
- November 15, 2024
