Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows Sparks Outrage Among Japanese Gamers
Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, titled “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” has drawn significant backlash from Japanese gamers who feel the game misrepresents and disrespects Japanese history and culture.
Inaccurate Portrayal of Samurai
The petition states that the game “is based on the samurai of Japan, ignoring the fact that the samurai is the upper class of the samurai class and should be ‘gokenin’ or nobles who serve them.
“The petition argues that Ubisoft has fundamentally misunderstood the role and nature of the samurai class in Japanese history
Inclusion of Yasuke as a Playable Samurai
One of the two main protagonists, Yasuke, is based on a real historical figure – an African man who briefly served as a retainer to the warlord Oda Nobunaga in 16th century Japan. However, the petition claims that while Yasuke did have some interaction with the samurai class, he was never actually elevated to the rank of samurai himself. Depicting him as a full-fledged samurai is seen as a significant historical inaccuracy.
Disrespect for Japanese Culture and History
The petition goes so far as to accuse Ubisoft of “Asian racism” through its handling of the game’s content. It states that the game’s portrayal of a “black samurai slaughtering Japanese people” is a “serious insult to Japanese culture and history.”
The petitioners demand that Ubisoft cease development of the game until it can demonstrate “sincere research and respect for Japanese history and culture.
As of now, the petition has garnered over 50,000 signatures, indicating the depth of outrage among Japanese gamers. Ubisoft has not yet responded publicly to the petition or the criticisms leveled against the game. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is still scheduled for release on November 15, 2024.
