Ubisoft Defending Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke Controversy is Hypocrisy at its Finest

When Ubisoft first revealed the protagonists of its upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it sparked a lot of debates on social media. In fact, even Elon Musk chimed in to point out that DEI ruins art, which in this case, is the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The game was initially planned to be released this month, however, it has been pushed to February 2025, giving Ubisoft enough time to clear out some rumors.

Recently, Marc-Alexis Coté, the Vice President Executive Producer for the Assassin’s Creed franchise, shared his views on the entire controversy surrounding Yasuke, claiming that history is diverse and Ubisoft aims to tell those stories through the Assassin’s Creed franchise. While this sounds amazing, it just won’t work this time as many have pointed out the historical inaccuracies in Yasuke’s depiction in the game.

Assassin’s Creed Franchise Head Marc-Alexis Coté Defended The Depiction Of Yasuke In Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Ubisoft’s upcoming game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, will feature two protagonists: Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by the historical figure of the same name. When the game’s premiere trailer was released in May, it was criticized by many on social media. People claimed that Ubisoft could’ve featured an indigenous Japanese samurai, adding that the studio is going “woke.“

Since the reveal, Ubisoft has always defended its choice of protagonists, and even now, Marc-Alexis Coté stands by the decision. At the recent BAFTA event, Coté shared his views on the controversy (via Eurogamer),

This isn’t new ground for the franchise… We’ve consistently introduced protagonists from diverse racial, ethnic and gender identities. History is inherently diverse, and so is Assassin’s Creed and the stories we tell. So to be clear, our commitment to inclusivity is grounded in historical authenticity and respect for diverse perspectives, not driven by modern agendas.

The approach was certainly different, as Ubisoft clearly made an attempt to stand out from other samurai games. The studio is known for its flawless research, however, this time, it may have made a mistake as the Japanese fans are not happy as well.

Is Yasuke’s Depiction In The Game Disrespecting The Japanese Culture?

Just a month after Ubisoft revealed Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ protagonists, a petition was filed on Change.org, to cancel the game because of the lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect. The petition, which was originally in Japanese, claimed that Ubisoft failed to understand the nature and role of a samurai.

A certain part of the community believes that Ubisoft did this to increase game sales. By including Yasuke, the studio has stirred up a controversy that will put the game in the spotlight. The debates on social media over the game’s content will only create curiosity among gamers, ultimately boosting the game’s sales.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is all set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, and iPadOS on February 14, 2025.