Assassin’s Creed Shadows Team Issued Statement About Yasuke

Ubisoft issued a statement regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows worldwide that touched on concerns about the game and depiction of Yasuke. In it, it brought up its efforts to work with consultants, brought up the depiction of the samurai, and noted the game “will keep evolving until launch.”

The statement first went over how Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a historical fiction story based on Feudal Japan, but also a piece of creative fiction. The team noted that it worked “external consultants, historians, researchers, and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan.” The note also asked those people not be harassed.

It’s a part of that statement that the team acknowledged concerns. It noted that this is an in-development project and the final game might not resemble early footage exactly. The company also apologized. The exact quote stated, “Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologize.” This marks the second apology, as Ubisoft also apologized for Sekigahara reenactment group flag art infringement earlier in July 2024.

Finally, Ubisoft addressed the depiction of Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The company reiterated this is a piece of historical fiction, and noted that the game series as a whole “has taken creative license and incorporated fantasy elements to craft engaging and immersive experiences. The representation of Yasuke in our game is an illustration of this.” It also reiterated that the samurai Yasuke and shinobi Naoe carry equal importance in the game.

Here is the full statement and apology from Ubisoft regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Yasuke.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will come out on November 15, 2024 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.