The r/assassinscreed subreddit, home to over 700,000 fans, has issued a firm warning to users against debating the historical accuracy of the upcoming video game Assassin's Creed Shadows, specifically focusing on protagonist Yasuke's status as a samurai.
The move comes after a controversial statement from Ubisoft to Japanese fans, in which the company apologised for promotional materials that had "caused concern" within the community. The four-page message, released in both English and Japanese, clarified that Assassin's Creed Shadows is intended as "a compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan", not a factual representation of history. Ubisoft stated their hope that Shadows would "spark curiosity" in players, prompting them to research the historical period the game draws inspiration from.
The statement also addressed the depiction of Yasuke, one of Shadows' two protagonists. "While Yasuke is depicted as a samurai in Assassin's Creed Shadows, we acknowledge that this is a matter of debate and discussion," the statement said. "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."
While Yasuke has often been portrayed as a samurai in popular media, both in Japan and globally, his depiction in Shadows has sparked debate regarding historical accuracy. This argument has run alongside criticism of Ubisoft's decision to feature a Black man as a lead protagonist in a Japan-set Assassin's Creed game, a backlash that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot alluded to when condemning "malicious and personal online attacks."
The statement highlighted that the Assassin's Creed series has always taken "creative licence and incorporated fantasy elements" into its historically-inspired settings. "The representation of Yasuke in our game is an illustration of this," the statement continued. "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."
However, the r/assassinscreed moderation team stated that Ubisoft's statement had "exacerbated" what they called "this tedious discussion that has been endlessly talked to death." They issued a "final reminder" to users about the nature of the Assassin's Creed franchise:
"Assassin's Creed is historical fiction. This means that while certain locations, events and figures may be based on reality, and can even have a slight focus on accuracy, their depictions are largely exaggerated for the sake of a more enjoyable video game," the mod team wrote in their statement. "While all of our player protagonists have been fictional to date, the introduction of Yasuke has given some people the false impression that the above rule does not apply. It still does. Yasuke, who is a samurai as confirmed by multiple reputable historians around the world including from Japan, may not have held as large as a role in the real world as he does in Shadows. This is okay. It is a video game. You are not meant to use Assassin's Creed as a sourcebook for actual historical knowledge - it is meant to compel you to do your own external research after immersing you in a glimpse of authenticity."
The mod team declared a firm stance against any further comments "attempting to dispute Yasuke's societal status, disparage his inclusion in game or containing statements bordering on concern trolling for historical accuracy." Such comments will be removed, and the user will be banned from the subreddit.
This forceful statement marks a clear attempt to draw a line under the debate that has become a major talking point around Assassin's Creed Shadows. While the discussion has spilled over into the real world, with a fringe Japanese politician requesting government commentary on the matter, it has not yet yielded any significant results.
Assassin's Creed Shadows launches on 12 November 2024 for those purchasing the Gold, Ultimate, Deluxe or Collector's Editions, while the Standard Edition becomes available on 15 November 2024.
