A new report details that the Assassin’s Creed subreddit banned an individual for disliking the game’s combat and pointing out Ubisoft’s DEI agenda.
Yasuke executes an innocent man pressed into a fight in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
X account Reddit Lies reports that a person posted to the Assassin’s Creed subreddit, “People are either going to play the game, or they will not. I am still leaning to playing it, but I do want to see more gameplay. But I am disappointed. This isnt what I expected or was hoping for. I dont care about Yasukes race is. Its whatever. But when I imagined an AC game in this time period, I didnt expect a hulking person swinging around a club. But whatever. They went in a different direction than what I thought it would be. Oh well.”
He continued, “As far as this comment OP ‘A reason they definitely did not do this was because of pandering, because that not how businesses work, like who exactly would they be pandering to?’ I disagree 100%. Ubisoft is neck deep in their DEI initiative. It is part of their core principals. Thats fine. Its what drives their choices. But the DEI crowd is who they are pandering to. From the journalists to the activists.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
This person was then reportedly banned and received the following message, “Hello, you have been permanently banned from participating in r/assassinscreed because your comment violates this community’s rules. You won’t be able to post or comment, but you can still view and subscribe to it.”
“If you have a question regarding your ban, you can contact the moderator team by replying to this message,” it concluded.
r/AssassinsCreed is now banning people who express disappointment at the game’s combat. pic.twitter.com/yKmesL3KzB
— Reddit Lies (@reddit_lies) June 14, 2024
It’s unclear what rule this post violated. However, it’s likely activist moderators determined it violated the subreddit’s rule on “Disrespectful Behavior” which states, “Disrespectful posts and comments will be removed. Insulting/hateful speech based on race, gender, sexual orientation and religion will not be tolerated and will result in a ban.”
Regardless, the post is true. Ubisoft does indeed embrace a DEI agenda. A leaked memo shared to X by TheQuartering details, “First, we want to make it very clear that we do not accept hate, harassment and other forms of abuse in any way, and we are deeply saddened to see the negativity and hatred currently spreading on our co-workers’ personal profiles, and on our and our partners’ social media platforms.”
It continues, “We are proud to represent the diversity and inclusion that exists in society as part of our everyday work. Representation is part of our DNA and will remain that way regardless of external pressure or influences.”
The document concludes stating, “Ubisoft firmly stands for diversity and inclusion in our workplace and our games, and we believe there is no room for hate in gaming.”
Ubisoft has been melting down internally over criticism of their DEI efforts. Quadruples down internally. pic.twitter.com/j9GGmDKsCw
— TheQuartering (@TheQuartering) April 21, 2024
In fact, the company has an entire section of their website titled “Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility.” Underneath this section the company’s VP of Global Diversity and Inclusion Raashi Sikka writes, “To create a video game, Ubisoft’s teams around the world work together to push the boundaries of what’s been done before and build an unforgettable experience for players. The journey from concept to launch requires collaboration, passion and commitment. We learn as we go, trying and failing and trying again before we get it right.”
It continues, “That same creativity, growth mindset and dedication form the foundation of our approach to diversity and inclusion. To truly have an impact, we must leverage innovative ideas and diverse perspectives to continue building a company – and an industry – that is welcoming to all. Our vision of diversity and inclusion is multidimensional. That’s why we’ve designed a strategy centered around four pillars: colleagues, culture, content, and community.”
“For Ubisoft, putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do means providing an environment where employees can thrive, building open-minded communities where players can connect, and creating games that reflect the diversity of the world we live in. We will not accomplish all these goals overnight. Just as it takes years of iteration to develop a AAA title, we will only become a more diverse and inclusive company by continuously improving, trying new ideas and learning from the results. It’s a long-term commitment, one that we will tackle with the same passion and dedication that we bring to our games,” Sikka concludes.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
The company seems to makes it clear under their “Colleagues” section that they hire people based on race. It reads, “We want to build the most creative, inclusive, and diverse teams across all fields. We will continue to increase representation in our company by building more inclusion across our systems and ensuring equal access to opportunities for everyone.”
Not surprising it also eschews any idea of certain societies and cultures being objectively better than others under its “Culture” section. It reads, “We will keep fostering a culture of inclusion where our teams feel seen, heard, and valued. To support this, we will empower global and local Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support global teams as they develop their understanding of inclusion and strengthen belonging for all.”
It’s not hard to see the company hiring cannibals in order to be inclusive if this is truly one of the company’s value.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
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The “Content” section makes it clear they are injecting wokeness into their games, “We will create gaming experiences that push representation forward by embedding diversity and inclusion across our processes, increasing representation in our teams, and offering access to resources that help teams to build more authentic inclusive, and accessible gaming experiences.”
Finally, the “Community” section indicates they are attempting to reshape society with this woke vision, “We will set the standard for inclusion for our teams, players, and partners, and will collaborate with leading organizations to expand our knowledge, grow our reach, give back to the community and champion inclusion in our industry.”
Key art for Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
This is not the first time a player was banned from a subreddit for criticizing Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows game. The PlayStation 5 subreddit banned a player for wanting a Japanese male character as a protagonist.
Reddit Lies reported on X that a player asked, “Any other Asian people disappointed that we don’t get an Asian male MC?”
Reddit_Lies on X
After positing this question, Golemisbest received a message that he had been “permanently banned from r/PS5.”
The message stated, “Hello, You have been permanently banned from participating in r/PS5 because your comment violates the community’s rules. You won’t be able to post or comment, but you can still view and subscribe to it.”
Reddit_Lies on X
The post in question has been removed and deleted from the subreddit as well:
Screenshot of deleted posts in PlayStation 5 subreddit
What do you make of the Assassin’s Creed subreddit banning this individual?
