Ubisoft attempted to address historical 'authenticity' issues in Assassin's Creed Shadows and just made the whole situation worse

GamesActionAssassin’s Creed ShadowsUbisoft attempted to address historical ‘authenticity’ issues in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and just made the whole situation worseWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Image for Ubisoft attempted to address historical �authenticity� issues in Assassin�s Creed Shadows and just made the whole situation worse

The team behind the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, set in feudal Japan, published a statement on Thursday addressed to its “esteemed Japanese community,” responding to “some criticism including from you, our Japanese players.” Though the message is purportedly directed at Japanese players, it’s only served to embolden criticism from a reactionary contingent of western players shouting about the notion that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are ruining games. In this case the target is Yasuke, a Black historical figure who serves as one of Shadows' two playable characters.

Ubisoft’s message states that the development team is dedicated to “ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan,” even though the Assassin’s Creed games are not “factual representations of history, or historical characters.” (My Italian history is spotty, but I don’t think the real life Leonardo da Vinci actually built a flying machine capable of sending an assassinsoaring over the rooftops of Venice.)

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows team has a message for our Japanese community. pic.twitter.com/AIyWNU9YhGJuly 23, 2024

CEO Yves Guillemot more obliquely referenced “malicious and personal online attacks that have been directed at some of our team members and partners” in a poston the Ubisoft blog, stating that “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.”

Those from Ubisoft statements make this one, once again defending Yasuke’s inclusion, seem wholly unnecessary. But maybe the company felt pressured to respond after a Japanese senator—one of exactly two members of afringe right-wing party—tweeted about the game being an act of “cultural appropriation.”

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Extended Gameplay Walkthrough | Ubisoft Forward - YouTubeWatch On

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Extended Gameplay Walkthrough | Ubisoft Forward - YouTube

It’s true thatsomeJapanese players have raisedsomecriticisms of what little we’ve seen of Shadows that have nothing to do with Yasuke’s presence. There was the use ofa rifle infantry reenactment group’s flag in concept art, tatami mats being square rather than rectangular in the debut cinematic, and a torii gate seemingly being placed at the entrance of a village in thegameplay walkthrough(though I don’t want to put too much stock in aReddit thread, people might have rushed to judgment on this one).

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The overwhelming number of downvotes onShadows' cinematic reveal trailer, though, hints at a reactionary backlash rather than mild disappointment with small details driving the narrative around Shadows. Whatever the reason Ubisoft felt pressured to reassure the small subset of players whodidhave genuine criticisms, Ubisoft’s statement has given bad faith critics fresh cover for a new wave of attacks masquerading as “just asking questions” about historical accuracy.

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