Following the heavy criticism of Assassin’s Creed Shadows in recent weeks, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has denounced the “malicious and personal online attacks” against the publisher’s developers.
First, let’s rewind Animus-style to catch up. Since the early days of the series, fans of Assassin’s Creed have been clamoring for a stealth stabathon set entirely in feudal Japan, and this year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally delivers just that. But what should have been an undeniably exciting release for AC fans has been somewhat marred by the backlash surrounding one of the game’s two protagonists, history’s first black samurai, Yasuke.
Some people expressed outrage at what they saw as a historical slip-up in a video game series featuring mythological creatures and god aliens. Others had more unpleasant opinions about the game’s co-lead, and even Elon Musk tweeted that “DEI kills art” – DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ubisoft executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté responded that such comments “fuel hate.” Now Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has also spoken out.
“One thing that concerns me right now is the vicious and personal online attacks that are being directed at some of our team members and partners,” Guillemot said in an interview on the company’s blog. “I want to make it clear that at Ubisoft, we strongly condemn these hateful acts, and I encourage the rest of the industry and gamers to denounce them as well. I am proud to support the great work of our teams and partners, and I will always trust their creative decisions. We should all celebrate the hard work and talent that goes into making video games.”
Guillemot shies away from naming Assassin’s Creed Shadows directly, and perhaps he’s referring more generally to the increasing toxicity that’s taking hold on the internet, but the implication is certainly there.
Whether you prefer Naoe’s stealthier routes or Yasuke’s heavy weapons, In Assassin’s Creed Shadows we can play through most of the game with one character, as no one is forced to switch back.
