Why are people upset about Assassin's Creed Shadows? Controversy explored

The upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows has been ridden with many controversies ever since its trailer was revealed. Many fans are upset with the general path that the game has taken. The displeasure arises from various reasons, from the legendary character Yasuke's inclusion as one of the playable main characters to the depiction of Japanese culture in the game.

In this article, I will dive deep to understand why many people, including the Japanese, are upset with Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows controversy explored

As an Asian, my feelings about Assassin's Creed Shadows. byu/yamalins inAssassinsCreedShadows

The upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows features the legendary figure Yasuke as one of the protagonists, and this ignited a heated debate among gamers and history fact-checkers from the moment it was revealed. A portion of the community strongly disapproves of this portrayal, primarily citing historical inaccuracies and cultural appropriation.

Yasuke's portrayal of a samurai seems to be one of the main factors behind this debacle and dissatisfaction. Although there are records that prove his existence as well as his service as a retainer for Oda Nobunaga, his exact status is largely unknown and shrouded in mystery.

Yasuke initiating fights with other samurai (Image via Ubisoft)

Many critics have argued that Ubisoft's depiction of Yasuke as a samurai is a blatant distortion of historical events. The argument is that Yasuke lacks a surname—a key identifier of a samurai. According to them, this absence places Yasuke outside the samurai class.

Yasuke being an Assassin in Japan is not a problem for many as this isn't the first time an Assassin of one ethnicity has taken center stage in a setting different from their native place. Ezio was a Florentine Assassin who had infiltrated the Byzantine Empire, and fans are okay with giving a similar treatment to Yasuke. His being termed a samurai is what they disagree with.

The discrepancies with Yasuke's behavior (Image via Reddit)

Even if Yasuke is considered to be a samurai, his actions are inaccurate—even blasphemous—according to fans. Killing another samurai based only on an old woman's complaints, as seen in the Assassin's Creed Shadows trailer, is strongly out of place as far as samurai culture is concerned. In fact, entering another daimyo's territory while wearing Nobunaga's brand would have instant repercussions according to the norms of Japanese society during that period.

The mixup on religious practices (Image via Reddit)

The backlash extends beyond the samurai aspect and caters to broader cultural concerns. Assassin's Creed Shadows' depiction of Japanese culture is skewed, according to many fans. One Reddit post by a person who identified themselves as Asian claimed that the buildings resemble Chinese architecture, not Japanese. Furthermore, the shape of the tatami as shown in the trailers is also supposedly wrong.

Petition to cancel Assassin's Creed Shadows in Japan (Image via change.org)

The person went on to state that the walls inside the castles were also inaccurate, and that the game mixed Buddhist and Shinto worshipping rituals. According to them, all of these collectively point to massive cultural insensitivity, and this has upset a section of the fanbase. Some even started petitions to have the game canceled.

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How do these controversies affect Assassin's Creed Shadows?

The controversies won't really affect the way the game is played (Image via Ubisoft)

It is important to understand that the narrative of Assassin's Creed Shadows is fictional, and not a documentary based on historical facts. Yes, all AC titles are inspired by history and have cameos of historical characters, but they are in no way meant to be history lessons.

To put it in simpler terms, while Assassin's Creed games contain historical figures, they are not to be equated with historically accurate figures. This has been the case in most Assassin's Creed games until now. As such, inaccuracies are bound to be there, and they have always been there in all other games.

For what it matters, Yasuke was a real person. He was of African origins. And he was employed under Oda Nobunaga. All of this is confirmed by every source. The inaccuracies arise with his samurai status, and there is much evidence both for and against that.

For a game like Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft taking this background and making their own version is not surprising. They have always distorted historical characters in a way that fits the narrative of the game. Any fan who is familiar with Assassin's Creed franchise will know this.

Yasuke as depicted in the eponymous Netflix anime (Image via Netflix)

Besides, Yasuke was also depicted as a "Black Samurai" in the Netflix animated series titled Yasuke. Surprisingly, there wasn't an uproar during its release, and his depiction as a samurai was not met with such massive controversies either.

To some extent, all of this goes on to show how a game can never satisfy the entire crowd, and there will always be critics who jump the gun at every chance they get.

At the end of the day, AC Shadows is a game. It is a work of fiction, imagination, and storytelling. With the internet divided over this controversy, it is unlikely that the game itself will face any hitches because of these bumps. As long as Assassin's Creed Shadows itself is enjoyable, it is unlikely that Ubisoft will suffer any major losses owing to these controversies.

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For more content, check out the following:

• What's included in AC Shadows Collector's Edition?
• Is Assassin's Creed Shadows on Steam?
• How to pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows? All editions, pre-order bonuses, and more explored
• Is Assassin's Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition worth buying? Content, bonuses, and more explained