Ubisoft attempted to address historical 'authenticity' issues in Assassin's Creed Shadows and just made the whole situation worse

The team behind the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows, set in feudal Japan, published a statement on Thursday addressed to its «esteemed Japanese community,» responding to «some criticism including from you, our Japanese players.» Though the message is purportedly directed at Japanese players, it's only served to embolden criticism from a reactionary contingent of western players shouting about the notion that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are ruining games. In this case the target is Yasuke, a Black historical figure who serves as one of Shadows' two playable characters.

Ubisoft's message states that the development team is dedicated to «ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan,» even though the Assassin's Creed games are not «factual representations of history, or historical characters.» (My Italian history is spotty, but I don't think the real life Leonardo da Vinci actually built a flying machine capable of sending an assassin soaring over the rooftops of Venice.)

The Assassin's Creed Shadows team has a message for our Japanese community. pic.twitter.com/AIyWNU9YhGJuly 23, 2024

It continues: «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.» It offers reassurance that the game will «keep evolving until launch,» then specifically addresses Yasuke's depiction as a samurai serving under warlord Oda Nobunaga in Shadows, acknowledging that the historicity of his life «is a matter of debate and discussion.» The message was posted simultaneously in Japanese by Ubisoft Japan.

The reaction that unfolded on Tuesday speaks to the messiness of a situation that has some kernel of truth to it. Many have seen the letter as Ubisoft «feeding the trolls» by falling for complaints that largely stem from white western players and YouTube rage farmers, not actual Japanese players. But Ubisoft has also already