Ubisoft, the developer and publisher behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has issued a statement to Japanese players to clarify its intentions and creative decisions behind the game following what has apparently been significant controversy surrounding the project, including what the company says are promotional materials that have caused “concern” within that particular community. The statement comes a few months ahead of the game’s release, which remains on track for launch on November 15, 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, macOS, iPadOS, and Windows PCs via Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store.
Ubisoft writes:
- “Since the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we have received…some criticism including [those from] Japanese players.”
- “We share your passion for history and deeply respect your care for the historical and cultural integrity of your rich heritage.”
- “…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.”
- “…we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologize.”
- “…we respectfully request that any criticism not be directed at our collaborators, both internal and external.”
The full statement, as shared on X:
The Assassin's Creed Shadows team has a message for our Japanese community. pic.twitter.com/AIyWNU9YhG
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) July 23, 2024
Some promos for the game:
Ubisoft added:
While we strive for authenticity in everything that we do, Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures. …Yasuke in our game is an illustration of this. 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 and with our other lead character, the Japanese shinobi Naoe, who is equally important in the game, our dual protagonists provide players with different gameplay styles.