Summary
- Ubisoft reportedly has a plan in place to protect devs from abuse after Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches.
- Devs are apparently already being told to be cautious on social media.
- Ubisoft is also said to be collaborating with a Canadian government agency is combat online abuse.
It’s hard to imagine that morale has been great at Ubisoft since Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ reveal. The first trailer was released last Spring, and since then, the game has been hit with delays, and the studio has faced layoffs. But of course, the main story surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the backlash, as the anti-woke/DEI/whatever it’s called now movement made the game its latest target.
This was all because of Yasuke, one of the game’s protagonists. While critics say that they take issue with Shadows referring to Yasuke as a samurai, it doesn’t take a lot of looking to find violently racist imagery and language being used towards the game and its depiction of its Black protagonist. The backlash was intense, with Elon Musk joining in on the hate.
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Now, it seems that Ubisoft it prepare for this to get even worse at launch. As reported by Tech & Co (spotted by ResetEra user Arubedo), Ubisoft is said to have implemented a plan to protect its devs as we approach Shadows’ launch. This reportedly includes offering “psychological and legal support”, and is part of a Canadian initiative against online abuse.
Ubisoft Is Prepared For Assassin’s Creed Shadows Backlash Turning Into Abuse, Per Report
Unfortunately, this is something companies have to account for now
Of course, the attacks have been going on for some months now. “We’re advised not to post on social media that we work at Ubisoft to avoid harassment,” says one Ubisoft worker quoted in the report (translated from French).
As part of this, Ubisoft is said to be working with the Canadian Communications Security Establishment (CSE), and has drafted up a plan to combat harassment. “It’s an initiative from Canada. There’s a team that monitors networks and acts quickly in the event of a targeted attack,” another source is quoted. “Unlike what we’ve had before, this is serious.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on March 20. We’ll have to wait and see where it lands with fans and critics.
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