Assassin’s Creed Shadows might be one of the most highly anticipated titles in the franchise’s history due to being set in feudal Japan, one of, if not, the most highly requested time periods fans have wanted to play. Following its initial reveal, the game has received backlash from a certain portion of the community. Now, the development team has issued a letter to the Japanese community for certain elements in the promotional material that have caused concern within the Japanese community.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows team has a message for our Japanese community. pic.twitter.com/AIyWNU9YhG

— Assassin’s Creed (@assassinscreed) July 23, 2024

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team wrote:

“To our esteemed Japanese community—a message from the Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team.

First, we want to express our heartfelt thanks for all your support for the Assassin’s Creed series which now has its own history spanning almost 20 years. Over this time, we have explored various settings, time periods, and characters, from an Assassin during the Third Crusade to a Viking in 9^th century England, and countless more.

For many of our team, creating an Assassin’s Creed game set in Feudal Japan has been a long-cherished dream.

Since the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we have received many positive reactions, but also some criticism including from you, our Japanese players. We share your passion for history and deeply respect your care for the historical and cultural integrity of your rich heritage. We would like to address a few points to clarify our intentions and creative decisions:

We have put significant effort into ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan. However, our intention has never been to present any of our Assassin’s Creed games, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as factual representations of history, or historical characters. Instead, we aim to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings we get inspired by.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is first and foremost, designed to be an entertaining video game that tells a compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan.

Our team extensively collaborated with external consultants, historians, researchers, and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan to inform our creative choices. Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community.”

Ubisoft has apologized for using a flag from a Japanese historical re-enactment group Sekigahara Teppo-tai in artwork for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft said they would no longer use the associated artwork other than the printed physical art book.

“For this, we sincerely apologize. All game footage presented so far is in development and the game will keep evolving until launch. Based on the constructive criticism we have received, we will continue our efforts until we put this game into your hands – and beyond.

We also want to clarify that while we have been consulting with many people throughout the development process, they are in no way responsible for the decisions that are taken by the creative teams in the interests of gameplay and entertainment. Consequently, we respectfully request that any criticism not be directed at our collaborators, both internal and external.”

One of the biggest talking points that has circled Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been Yasuke, one of the two main protagonists in the game and the first historical figure who will be playable in the franchise.

“While we strive for authenticity in everything that we do, Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures,” the development team said.

“From its inception, the series has taken creative license and incorporated fantasy elements to craft engaging and immersive experiences. The representation of Yasuke in our game is an illustration of this. His unique and mysterious life made him an ideal candidate to tell an Assassin’s Creed story with the setting of Feudal Japan as a backdrop. While Yasuke is depicted as a samurai in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we acknowledge that this is a matter of debate and discussion. We have woven this carefully into our narrative and with our other lead character, the Japanese shinobi Naoe, who is equally important in the game, our dual protagonists provide players with different gameplay styles.

We greatly value your feedback and encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts, respectfully. While we understand that meeting everyone’s expectations is very difficult, we sincerely hope that when Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on November 15, players in Japan and around the world will appreciate the dedication, effort, and passion we have poured into it.