The highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows has sparked controversy over cultural representation, with fans unhappy with the game set in 16th century Japan and featuring an African samurai.
The latest installment of the Ubisoft Quebec franchise, launching on November 15, will take players to 16th century Japan and will feature two main characters: a shinobi or Japanese warrior, Nanoe, and, for the first time, a woman real. Historical samurai from life, Yasuke.
However, the decision to include Yasuke, a samurai of African origin who entered Japan enslaved by the Portuguese and served under the Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga, has divided the gaming community.
There has been backlash over the decision to make the first real-life character to appear in the game an African samurai, with one claiming that this makes Assassin’s Creed complicit in “erasing the Asian male presence of Western media.
Another described it as “forced diversity,” while one fan explained: “As an Asian, I don’t care that we have a black protagonist.” The only thing that disappoints me is that I still can’t play an Asian murderer.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has sparked a debate over cultural representation after Ubisoft revealed that the game features an African samurai (pictured).
The game company said they wanted to feature Yasuke because his open-ended story allowed for creativity.
There is little information available about Yasuke, as his birth name is unknown, according to Britannica. However, he was the first known foreigner to achieve samurai status.
In 2021, Netflix released an anime series based on him, titled Yasuke.
Ubisoft Quebec explained: “There must be something exceptional about Yasuke to be successful… and the goal has been to expose this in Assassin’s Creed Shadows through his curiosity, openness, respect for values and tradition, courage, warmth and charisma. ‘
‘It also offers a unique perspective of that era: players can discover Japan alongside it.
“On the one hand, it serves as a warning about the colonizing threat posed by the Portuguese, and on the other, it adapted and thrived in Japan, and can be seen as an example of the meritocratic structure established under Nobunaga.”
Meanwhile, Nanoe is a 17-year-old shinobi from Iga who has witnessed the destruction of her home province by war. She channels her experience to help her people.
Ultimately, the game sees the protagonists come together in an attempt to unify Japan.
The two-player game features Yasuke (pictured left) and an Iga shinobi named Nanoe (pictured right)
Ubisoft said they chose to feature Yasuke (pictured) in the game because his character allows for creativity.
Ubisoft Quebec will release the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows on November 15
However, news of the upcoming release divided the gaming community, with some complaining that it is leaving out Asian men. On X, formerly Twitter, one asked: “What does Ubisoft have against Japanese men?”
MailOnline has approached Ubisoft for comment.
A second added: “Why is Yasuke the first real historical figure to be used in an Assassin’s Creed game? A real character has never been used in the franchise’s 17-year run. Why is Nanoe a fictional character ?Couldn’t they also use a real female character?
A third wrote: ‘I notice a particularly evident trend of erasing Asian male presence from Western media as main characters.
‘From the Netflix adaptation of 3 Body Problem that originally had them to this new Assassin’s Creed game set in feudal Japan where almost everyone is Japanese. No, thanks.’
Players took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the latest Assassin’s Creed Shadows character.
Another added: ‘It’s not about representing this or that, it’s just the fact that it seems like forced diversity. There is a difference between the two.’
A sixth wrote: “The fact that Assassin’s Creed is based in Japan and then not use a Japanese male protagonist is stupid.” We know exactly why they’re using Yasuke and it’s annoying. It would be as dumb as having him based in Africa and deciding to use a white male lead.
Another questioned: “I’m Asian and Ubisoft decided to erase me and replace me in a game about my own country.”
‘Isn’t that what they would say if they made Assassin’s Creed Shadows a white guy? Why do you think it’s okay that they chose a black guy?
The latest Assassin’s Creed sees Yasuke and Nanoe (pictured) team up in a bid to unify Japan
It comes after Activision released the first teaser for this year’s new Call of Duty game with a video of Mount Rushmore painted with the words “THE TRUTH LIES.”
Yesterday a mysterious new website, thetruthlies.com, appeared with an old-school television and the slogan “Open your eyes.” The truth lies’.
This first marketing push for the game, expected to be from its Black Ops series and called Black Ops 6 or Black Ops Gulf War, comes weeks before it is officially unveiled at the Xbox Showcase event on June 9.
Thetruthlies.com also hosts a fictional news channel that shows images of other vandalized monuments around the world.
The first of six channels plays a clip of a group venturing into a “federally closed area” under the cover of darkness before scaling Mount Rushmore, placing sheets over the eyes of the four taped presidents and pulling back to reveal those sheets with the words “THE TRUTH”. LIES and a Cerberus logo.
More details are expected to be released in June at the Xbox Showcase event, for which the same Cerberus logo seen in recent trailers was used in the promotion.