Ubisoft addresses the Assassin’s Creed Shadows controversy and reminds that it is a work of fiction inspired by history

Controversy has accompanied Assassin’s Creed Shadows since the presentation of its first trailer with gameplay where the two protagonists were discovered: the shinobi Naoe and the samurai Yasuke. Since then and for various reasons, including Ubisoft’s clumsiness when using certain promotional materials and the appearance of a black character (Yasuke), the controversy has only grown, so the French company has wanted to address the situation with a message especially aimed at the Japanese community.

Ubisoft begins its statement by stating that it has put a lot of effort into ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of feudal Japan, and that its intention has never been to present the Assassin’s Creed games, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as a true embodiment of history or historical characters. “On the contrary, our goal is to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings that inspire us,” the French publisher says.

“First and foremost, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is designed to be an entertaining game that tells a historical fiction story set in feudal Japan,” the company added.

Ubisoft explains that during the development of Assassin’s Creed Shadows it has collaborated with external consultants, historians, researchers and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan “to inform our creative decisions.” Despite this, the company acknowledges that “some elements of our promotional materials have caused concern in the Japanese community,” and for this it apologizes. Ubisoft refers to the use without permission of the flag of a Japanese historical reenactment group formed by volunteers. The material has already been removed, but it remains to be seen what will happen to the official art book.

Ubisoft also wants to clarify that the people it has collaborated with throughout the development of Assassin’s Creed Shadows are in no way responsible for the creative decisions of its team, which are driven by gameplay and entertainment.

Ubisoft’s message ends by reminding that, although they seek authenticity, “Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and characters.” “Since its inception, the series has taken creative liberties and incorporated fantasy elements to create interactive and immersive experiences,” says the company. “The representation of Yasuke in our game is proof of this.” […] Although Yasuke appears as a samurai in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we are aware that this is a topic of debate and discussion.”

In other words, if people have no problem accepting that, according to Assassin’s Creed, Leonardo da Vinci’s character played an important role in the confrontation between the Assassin order and the Templars, they should not have any problem approving that Yasuke was a samurai under the orders of Oda Nobunaga. Both characters existed, and Ubisoft has used them with creative freedom to offer a game whose ultimate purpose is to entertain.