Video game developer Ubisoft has been accused of stealing the banner for a Japanese reenactment group for their upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows game.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
In footage of the game, the reenactment group, the Sekigahara Teppo Corps’ back flag is seen being carried by a soldier as showcased by former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern.
This is the banner Ubisoft used without permission.
Video is here: https://t.co/7x3GSi63gn pic.twitter.com/S1V0DRct3h
— Grummz (@Grummz) June 18, 2024
A member of the group was also informed about the back flag and confirmed it was indeed the group’s flag. As translated by Google on X, he wrote, “I heard a little bit about it, but it seems that the Sekigahara rifle corps was used as the background for the concept art for Assassin’s Creed Shadow. I actually took a look at it, and when I zoomed in I could definitely see the back flag that we use. Honestly, I’m not sure how to react.”
Matchlock_kage on X
He also shared that the group was contemplating filing a lawsuit, but indicated that the group is made entirely of volunteers and is not a profit-making entity.
He stated, “Thank you so much for all your comments. We do not engage in profit-making activities and are run almost entirely by volunteers from the general public. Many people are of the opinion that we should sue, but would we have to cover the costs and effort? I’m glad that you care about it, but…”
Matchlock_kage on X
He reiterated this in another post, “Thank you for your comment. We are not a profit-making organization, so we do not have the power to hire a lawyer and fight.”
Matchlock_kage on X
He went on to write, “The issue with the Sekigahara riflemen was the unauthorized use of the back flag, but isn’t the fabrication of history a separate issue? Also, I think the design of the flag would have been impossible at the time, but I don’t know if the ‘Sekigahara Rifle Corps’ didn’t exist.”
Matchlock_kage on X
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Next, he detailed that he contacted Ubisoft Japanese and informed them they should seek permission to use the back flag, “I registered as a user and contacted Ubisoft’s Japan support via inquiry form. I told them that the concept art depicts the ‘Sekigahara rifle corps’ flag’ and that if they wanted to officially use it, they should contact the representative.”
Matchlock_kage on X
In a post on June 19th, he appeared to encourage followers who think that the group should sue to contact a lawyer on behalf of the group or the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
He wrote, “If you think that we should sue, would you please contact a lawyer or the Agency for Cultural Affairs directly instead of asking me for help?”
Matchlock_kage on X
Finally, he appeared to indicate that the group is discussing crowdfunding efforts. It’s unclear what these crowdfunding efforts would be for. It’s possible they could be for a lawsuit or to just help support the Corps.
He did share that the best way to support the Corps is to see their demonstrations in person, “Thank you for all the comments regarding support through crowdfunding and other means. I am currently consulting with the higher-ups in the unit. Personally, I feel that the best support would be for people to see the Sekigahara Rifle Corps’ demonstrations in person and for them to have more opportunities to perform. I will keep you updated on any progress.”
Matchlock_kage on X
This is the latest in a string of controversies for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The game’s boss Marc-Alexis Côté recently admitted that he was emotionally broken by Elon Musk who reacted to Assassin’s Creed Shadows by posting on X, “DEI kills art.”
Elon Musk on X
Côté told Game File, “That tweet generated emotions, that…the first thing I wanted to do was go back on X – that I had deleted – and just tweet back. And I just took a step back. I have a mindfulness app on my phone. And I did a bit of mindfulness to try to explore the emotions that this tweet created.”
In a moment of sheer hypocrisy, he accused Elon of feeling hatred while at the same time indicating he had a bunch of hateful three-word replies he wanted to send, “For me, Elon, it’s sad, he’s just feeding hatred. I had a lot of three word replies that came to mind.”
Nevertheless, Côté continued, “By attacking someone like Elon… I will not convince people about our point of view as a team.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
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The game also appeared to confirm that the game’s two protagonists of Yasuke and Naoe will have same sex romance options. A blog post on the company’s website stated, “Naoe and Yasuke’s disparate personalities also lead them to have different relationships and rapports with other characters, and they don’t always feel the same way about people, nor do people always feel the same way about them.”
Next, it discussed romance options, “Romantically, they will also attract and be attracted to different types of people. Through the pair, players will get to experience a multitude of relationships.”
Key art for Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
The company also hired Dartmouth Associate Professor Sachi Schmidt-Hori as a consultant. Her biography on Dartmouth’s website states, “I am interested in investigating how gender, sexuality, corporeality, and power are represented and negotiated in pre-seventeenth-century Japanese narratives and illustrations. My first book, Tales of Idolized Boys: Male-Male Love in Medieval Japanese Narratives (University of Hawai`i Press, 2021) is on medieval chigo monogatari (Buddhist acolyte tales), which often depict romantic relationships between Buddhist priests and adolescent boys.”
The website also reveals the classes she teaches: Introduction to Japanese Culture; Languages and Scripts of Gender, Class, and Nation; Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Premodern Japan; Classical Japanese Language Grammar and Translation Workshop; and ASCL 60.26: Thinking of Contemporary Issues in Japan through Graphic Novels (Manga).
Screenshot of Sachi Schmidt-Hori and Ubisoft’s Brooke Davies discussing Assassin’s Creed Shadows
What do you make of this accusation of theft against Ubisoft?
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