Ubisoft Apologizes to Japan for Assassin's Creed Shadows

It appears that Assassin's Creed Shadows is getting into an increasingly bizarre predicament. The Assassin's Creed Shadows team published a statement for the Japanese gaming community, and Ubisoft tweeted on July 23 with the accompanying text and four images showing their revelation concerning the situation. Nonetheless, Ubisoft's statement hasn't really improved the situation, which was already on fire.

In that Twitter statement, Ubisoft expressed gratitude to the Japanese community and their long-held desire to create an Assassin's Creed game in Japan. Though they've gotten a lot of good feedback, Japanese players have been critical of them as well. Plus, they'd like to bring up a few points, and Ubisoft is just as enthusiastic about Japan's past and present as they are.

Even though Ubisoft has worked hard to provide an accurate portrayal of medieval Japan in AC games, they have always maintained that their goal was to provide a thrilling and respectful experience for players. They claim that Assassin's Creed Shadows is a game first and foremost and that they worked closely with historians, consultants, and researchers at Ubisoft Japan to make the game. Instead, they want players to be interested in the historical settings that serve as inspiration for Assassin's Creed Shadows, as the game is made with the intention of providing entertainment. 

Unfortunately, some of their promotional materials did upset certain Japanese people, and for that, they offered their deepest apologies. The statement claims that all footage of the game up to this point is solely for development purposes and that they will continue working on it based on constructive comments. Ubisoft continued by saying that they've talked to a lot of individuals but that nobody is ultimately responsible for the game's decisions and that they beg people not to criticize their partners.

Regarding Yasuke in particular, Ubisoft states that he was a perfect fit for Assassin's Creed Shadows due to his interesting and enigmatic past and that although he is portrayed as a samurai, they admit that the classification is debatable. Lastly, Ubisoft expressed their appreciation for feedback and expressed their hope that Assassin's Creed Shadows, when released on November 15th, will be enjoyed by players worldwide, including those in Japan. 

Many in the Japanese community have asserted that Ubisoft has never meant for Assassin's Creed Shadows to depict genuine historical events, even though the developer has apologized. Even Ubisoft developer Charles Benoit claimed that Assassin's Creed is known for depicting accurate history and that players can expect the same with Assassin's Creed Shadows. It appears that their statements are contradictory. 

Ubisoft also published a statement in Japanese on their Japanese account, which is relevant to the latest announcement. But the statement has caused quite a stir. Assassin's Creed Shadows was never intended to be historically accurate, according to a new admission by Ubisoft. That claim, however, was contested by the Japanese players, who provided numerous disparities.

They reference multiple sources that Ubisoft has used to support their claims that Assassin's Creed Shadows is historically accurate, follows the timeline of the original, and has expert-backed study results. According to Ubisoft, the game even features accurate portrayals of real-life historical personalities. The notes from the Japanese community conclude that Ubisoft's announcement does, in fact, disprove their earlier remarks.

Many believe Ubisoft is trying to change its position on its earlier statements and that most Japanese players are not buying it. Another thing that baffles us is how Ubisoft obviously was convinced no one would see these inconsistencies. They appear to have lost even more goodwill as a result; thus, their so-called apologies have backfired to a significant degree.

The Assassin's Creed franchise has an ever-growing fan base, which includes me. While I thought Assassin's Creed Mirage was okay, I had even higher expectations from Assassin's Creed Shadows since it represents the Samurais that we all adore. On the other hand, Assassin's Creed Shadows' price and the controversy surrounding the protagonist can significantly affect the series' trajectory. Considering the current state of affairs, it would not be shocking if Ubisoft opts to delay the release date further and introduce significant story alterations to the game. Ubisoft surely doesn't want to see all the Japanese players leave Assassin's Creed Shadows, as the game is set in Japan.