The Japanese government has launched an investigation into Ubisoft over claims that Assassin’s Creed Shadows misrepresented history.
The Japanese government, represented by Satoshi Hamada, is considering the upcoming Assassins Creed Shadows He expressed serious concerns about the changes and inaccuracies in the way Japanese history is depicted. Hamada plans to take the issue to the Japanase Diet, the country’s legislative body. He also suspects that generative AI is being used incorrectly to create images that are accurate to the historical period.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Debate Grows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has faced significant backlash and controversy since its release. Now that the Japanese government is involved, things aren’t looking good for Ubisoft. Hamada recently took to Twitter to voice his concerns, stating, “We have received a tip regarding Japanese history being altered by a French gaming company.”
Hamada criticized Ubisoft in a series of tweets for not acknowledging its mistakes, pointing out glitches in the gameplay video, including “crappy seasons, crappy buildings, and crappy attitudes.” He also expressed concern that the AI trained on historical photographs was creating inaccurate representations of Japanese culture. The article also criticized the game for accidentally including Chinese subtitles, and blamed Ubisoft for not fixing these glitches.
Hamada spoke about his plan to closely examine how Yasuke, a black man who serves Nobunaga Oda, is portrayed in the game. He provided more screenshots of the feedback he received on the matter, highlighting broader concerns about cultural appropriation and sensitivity. This led to a petition with over 81,000 signatures demanding Ubisoft cancel the game’s release. There are also concerns about how social norms and behaviors are portrayed.
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The trailer depicts the characters sitting seiza, a formal stance common during the Tokugawa period, rather than the cross-legged position typical of the Sengoku period. These inaccuracies led to accusations that Ubisoft did not sufficiently consult with Japanese historians and cultural experts during the game’s development.
A Capcom developer recently stated that criticizing Ubisoft over Assassin’s Creed Shadows is pointless because he believes it’s a fantasy world and not a real one. Ubisoft’s CEO also condemned the hate and criticism their new game has received.
It will be interesting to see how the company handles the situation now that the Japanese government is involved.