Ubisoft appears to be making a last-ditch effort to salvage Assassin’s Creed Shadows, now telling players they can skip playing as Yasuke, the game’s controversial Black samurai protagonist, “for any reason.” This phrasing, used by creative director Jonathan Dumont in a recent interview with Screen Rant, has many interpreting it as Ubisoft quietly acknowledging the widespread dissatisfaction with Yasuke’s inclusion and trying to placate frustrated fans.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
In the interview, Dumont assured players they can focus on playing as either protagonist in the game while ignoring the other without missing out on core gameplay.
“I don’t think you’re missing out on things too much,” Dumont said regarding skipping one of the game’s primary protagonists. “I think it’s more on your preference to [say], ‘Okay, I’ll see how the game will adapt a little bit to the character if you choose one over the other.’”
But it was his next line that raised eyebrows.
“If you prefer one character for any reason, you can play quite a bit of the game using one of them.” he said. This seemingly innocuous phrase has drawn significant attention. Given the ongoing backlash surrounding Yasuke’s inclusion, many see it as Ubisoft’s veiled attempt to address the controversy without directly confronting it. For critics, it reads as Ubisoft offering players an easy way to avoid playing as the character whose presence has sparked months of debate.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
Naoe offers a classic Assassin’s Creed experience focused on stealth, reminiscent of early franchise entries and the recent Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Yasuke, on the other hand, embodies the more aggressive, action-heavy combat style seen in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Dumont clarified that while both characters have their own questlines, the bulk of the game can be played with either protagonist.
This announcement comes amid a tidal wave of backlash Ubisoft has faced over Shadows, much of it centered on the inclusion of Yasuke as a main protagonist. Fans have long clamored for an Assassin’s Creed set in feudal Japan, but many expected a traditional Japanese samurai or ninja lead. Ubisoft’s decision to spotlight Yasuke—a historical figure with limited documented influence in Japanese history—was seen as prioritizing modern ideological trends over historical authenticity.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
The controversy surrounding Yasuke’s inclusion isn’t the only issue that has plagued Shadows. Ubisoft has faced repeated backlash over historical inaccuracies and culturally insensitive depictions. One major incident involved the depiction of the Itate Hyozu Jinja shrine, a real Shinto temple still active today. In Shadows, players can enter the shrine and destroy its interior, including smashing the altar. This led to the temple filing a formal request for Ubisoft to remove it from the game, calling the depiction offensive and disrespectful.
Additionally, Ubisoft had to apologize for using the Sekigahara Rifle Corps’ banner without permission in official artwork, and the company faced intense criticism for a collector’s statue featuring a destroyed torii gate, which closely resembled the iconic image of the Hiroshima gate after the atomic bombing. PureArts, the collectible figure maker, removed the statue from sale after widespread backlash.
The game’s repeated delays haven’t helped its image either. Originally scheduled for November 2024, Shadows was pushed to February 2025 and then again to March 20, 2025—a date that marks the 30th anniversary of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, Japan’s deadliest modern domestic tragedy. The decision to release the game on such a significant and somber date was criticized as either ignorant or blatantly disrespectful.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Qlectors Yasuke & Naoe (2024), Pure Arts
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Ubisoft’s defensive attitude toward criticism has further alienated fans. When X user NikTek highlighted bugs in the game’s graphics, the official Assassin’s Creed account responded dismissively with, “Note to Self: Make ‘Work in Progress’ appear larger.” This tone-deaf response highlighted the company’s unwillingness to accept constructive feedback, a theme that has persisted throughout the game’s troubled development.
Now, with Dumont’s assurance that players can bypass Yasuke “for any reason,” Ubisoft seems to be tacitly acknowledging the backlash while hoping to mitigate further damage. For a game that Ubisoft claimed would showcase deep cultural respect and historical accuracy, the mounting controversies suggest otherwise.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a crucial release for Ubisoft, which has seen its market value plummet in recent years. With investors growing restless and fans becoming increasingly vocal about the game’s missteps, this latest concession might be too little, too late. For many, Ubisoft’s repeated cultural blunders and dismissive attitude have already done irreparable damage to the franchise’s credibility.
Do you think Assassin’s Creed Shadows is caving to pressure regarding Yasuke? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
But they told preorders were “high”….. Whats the thruth ubisoft? Lmao they are so scared they dont know what to do
“We’ve always been at war with Eastasia.” It doesn’t matter if they’re Fabian Socialists (founded in 1884), National Socialists, or any other kind of socialists. They’ll always claim that the truth is what they say it is and do everything possible to silence dissenting information.
Who wants to play BLMuke, then?🤔🤔🤔
I remember with Altair that the game would penalize you for running around slaughtering innocent people and doing random mayhem damage.
I can skip playing as Yasuke without even playing the game. And then I don’t waste money on woke trash besides.
The last, desperate gasp by You Be Soft to get people to buy this atrocity before finally throwing in the towel. Who wants to bet it doesn’t even get six digits in sales? I have to account for uninformed normies who don’t pay any attention to culture because they disappoint me repeatedly.
Expect the woke to be mad about this as well. You can never be woke enough to satisfy the woke.
This is the real reason they delayed the game, they wanted to minimize the damage and give players what they wanted without removing Afro Samurai since they knew doing so would get them cancelled by the mentally ill woketards. The problem is when you try to pander to everyone you end up pleasing no one, so I’m fully expecting to see copies in the bargain bin by summer.
Frankly, I would play as Afro Samurai. That anime was amazing. (2007, years before DEI woke insanity and they made it fkin cool, seinen anime, gore and blood, flying limbs… fkin awesome).
I agree, it was great show and wasn’t trying to pander to anyone by saying “look, we’re basing this on historical facts” when that’s clearly a blatant lie. That’s what blows my mind about the wokies, there’s a right and wrong way to do this stuff, and it doesn’t have to be insulting to other groups or anyone’s intelligence.
I didn’t realize until now that Ubi’s stock is OTC. No one wants to own their stock or their games lol.
I look forward to the utter failure of Assassin’s Creed Floyd next month.
The article describes the destroyed torii gate as closely resembling the iconic gate of Hiroshima after the atomic bombing, but it is actually Sanno Shrine in Nagasaki.
Lol the translation of what he meant with this: “We still think you are racists, but it’s ok for us, as long as you give us your money.”
There’s only one way for a company that gone woke to redeem themselves in my eyes, which is to confess and to change. Only if a company really openly admits they have been wrong with attacking gamers and pushing DEI Initiatives and only if actions follow, that make it clear, they really learned from their mistake and aren’t just pandering to stay afloat, only then I will consider a company cured from the woke mind virus. But I am 99% sure this will never happen. Infections with wokeness usually result in the death of the infected businesses.
I will stay away from anything, that could potentially be infected with the woke mind virus, because of how severe the brain damage from this Virus is. We are in the middle of a degeneracy pandemic and I don’t want to get infected.
They’ve made their bed and they need to just lay down and get comfy. They wanted to push the woke agenda with DEI, feminism, and LGBT degeneracy. Instead of yelling it from the rooftops loud and proud now they are trying to misdirect. I’m not falling for it. Hope they go out of business as soon as possible.
This is what they get for bringing in a bunch of liberal women and alphabet whackadoodles to work on beloved male franchises.