The main Assassin’s Creed subreddit has warned users against debating the historical accuracy of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows video game, particularly protagonist Yasuke’s status as a samurai.
Moderators of r/assassinscreed, which has over 700,000 members, blocked a post titled “There is no ‘debate’: Yasuke was a samurai. If you disagree, you can disagree elsewhere” due to “brigadage” in the comments.
The post follows a controversial statement released by Ubisoft to Japanese fans in which the company apologized for promotional materials that it said “raised concerns” among the community.
Photo credits: Ubisoft
The four-page post, published in English and Japanese, explains that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is not intended to be a factual depiction of history. Instead, it is described as “compelling historical fiction set in feudal Japan.” Ubisoft adds that it hopes Shadows will “spark curiosity” in players who will then learn about the historical period the game is based on.
In addition to the apology regarding the marketing materials, the message also mentions Yasuke, one of the two protagonists of Shadows: “While Yasuke is depicted as a samurai in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we recognize that this is a topic of debate and discussion. We have carefully integrated this into our narrative and together with our other main character, the Japanese shinobi Naoe, who is equally important in the game, our two protagonists offer players different playstyles.”
While Yasuke has often been portrayed as a samurai in mainstream media, both in Japan and elsewhere, his portrayal in Shadows has sparked debate over historical accuracy. This debate has coexisted with criticism over Ubisoft’s decision to feature a black man as the main protagonist of an Assassin’s Creed game set in Japan. a violent reaction that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot alluded to when he condemned “malicious and personal online attacks.”
The Assassin’s Creed series has always embraced “creative freedom and incorporated fantasy elements” into its historically inspired settings. “The portrayal of Yasuke in our game is a case in point. His unique and mysterious life made him an ideal candidate to tell an Assassin’s Creed story set against the backdrop of feudal Japan.”
The moderation team behind r/assassinscreed said Ubisoft’s statement “exacerbates” what it calls “this tedious discussion that has been endlessly rehearsed to death,” and gave users of the subreddit a “final reminder” of what the Assassin’s Creed franchise entails.
Here is the full statement from the r/assassinscreed moderation team:
With the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, many individuals have taken to various online communities such as this subreddit and raised arguments about “historical accuracy.” As we are all exhausted by this tedious discussion that has been endlessly repeated to death, not to mention exacerbated by a recent official statement from Ubisoft, we would like to offer one final reminder to those participating in these debates about what exactly this franchise entails, and why there was never any point in these discussions in the first place, outside of hiding malicious intent.
Assassin’s Creed is historical fiction. This means that while some locations, events, and characters may be based on reality, and even lean slightly toward accuracy, their depictions are largely exaggerated for the sake of a more enjoyable video game. While all of our player protagonists are fictional so far, the introduction of Yasuke has given some people the false impression that the above rule doesn’t apply. That’s still the case. Yasuke, who is a samurai as confirmed by several reputable historians around the world, including Japan, may not have played as big a role in the real world as he does in Shadows. That’s okay. It’s a video game. You’re not supposed to use Assassin’s Creed as a source of real historical knowledge – it’s supposed to force you to do your own external research after immersing yourself in a glimpse of authenticity.
We are not here in this community to debate historical facts. Most of us, as fans, understand that while these games give us a great look at what historical settings might have looked like and we have fun comparing them to actual events, we are not looking for accuracy in this franchise and are primarily playing for other reasons. So if you are here specifically to leave comments about your displeasure with the inclusion of Yasuke or various other inaccurate details that have been highlighted in Ubisoft’s depiction of feudal Japan, it is time to understand that this is not the place for that discussion and never will be. Feel free to voice your displeasure elsewhere, away from this franchise and its communities.
Any further comments attempting to challenge Yasuke’s social status, denigrate his inclusion in the game, or containing statements bordering on trolling regarding historical accuracy will be promptly removed and punished with a ban.
The moderator team also provided a list of links to Reddit posts explaining how the Assassin’s Creed series handled historical accuracy in previous games.
The post underscores the subreddit’s strong stance on Shadows, and is a clear attempt to draw a line under what has become one of the biggest talking points around the game. As Eurogamer pointed out, this debate has spilled over into the real world, with a fringe Japanese politician asking the Japanese government to comment on the matter. But so far, there have been no meaningful results.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch on November 12, 2024 for those who purchase the Gold, Ultimate and Deluxe Editionsor Collector’s Editions, while the Standard Edition is available on November 15, 2024. You can learn more about its goals in Our in-depth interview with the development teamas well as our list of 50 key details.
Wesley is IGN’s UK News Editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or in confidence at wyp100@proton.me.
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