Ever since the protagonists of Assassin’s Creed Shadows were revealed to be Yasuke and Naoe, Ubisoft has found itself at the centre of controversy. While many detractors have used the argument of historical realism to go against the game – saying that it is inaccurate to portray Yasuke as a samurai – much of the conversation has devolved into overt racism.
Now, game director Jonathan Dumont has touched on this at a preview event. Here, he doesn’t address the comments or hate coming from western audiences, but says that he is willing to hear Japanese fans out, as long as the feedback is “good” and “warranted”.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Director Asked About Pushback In Japan
Jonathan Dumont says he will listen to Japanese fans
This interview has not been released in full, but is quoted by content creator Genki Gamer, who spoke with Dumont at a recent preview event.
“I also asked about the controversy surrounding this game in Japan, and he told me that the team are focused on the game,” Genki begins. “They are trying to listen to the Japanese fans, and if there is good and warranted criticism, they will try to take it in. But on the whole, they are mainly focused on delivering an outstanding game.”
As for what wouldn’t be considered “warranted” criticism, that would likely include the endless stream of complaints about Assassin’s Creed going ‘woke’, something we’ve seen with many other games over the past year. There were also some calling on Yasuke to be removed from the game, which obviously could not be done so late into development.
In any case, it isn’t long until Assassin’s Creed Shadows is with us. It’s set to launch on March 20, although some fans managed to get their hands on physical copies weeks in advance.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Released
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March 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
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Ubisoft Quebec