Summary
The r/AssassinsCreed subreddit has bannedAssassin’s Creed Shadowsdebates about Yasuke’s status as a samurai. The mods of the largestACcommunity on Reddit characterized the move as a response to an influx of “bad faith” arguments that have been pouring onto the sub ever sinceAssassin’s Creed Shadowswas revealed.
Some vocal social media users have previously taken issue with the upcoming game’s inclusion of African samurai Yasuke as one of its two leads. Even though he’s the first-everAssassin’s Creedprotagonist to be based on a real person, those opinions painted his inclusion as detrimental to the game’s “historical accuracy” and robbing Japanese audiences of additional representation in a feudal Japan-era setting. Such talking points have been parroted far and wide since May 2024, as reflected in the fact that evenElon Musk ended up criticizingAssassin’s Creed Shadowsfor its perceived “wokeness,” a sentiment that Ubisoft later characterized as “feeding hatred.”
r/AssassinsCreed Subreddit Is Sick of ‘Historical Accuracy’ Arguments
The r/AssassinsCreed subreddit has banned all talk about Yasuke’s status as a samurai and the upcoming game’s overall historical accuracy on July 28. “We are all exhausted of this tedious discussion that has been endlessly talked to death,” the mods wrote, adding that these debates were exacerbated byUbisoft’s recent response toAssassin’s Creed Shadowscriticism, which saw the company acknowledge the real-world Yasuke might not have been a warrior despite having the status of a samurai.
The mods also reiterated Ubisoft’s official stance about theAssassin’s Creedfranchisenever being intended as anything but historical fiction, hence concluding that criticizing Yasuke’s inclusion from a historical perspective was an exercise in futility. “There was never any point to these discussions to begin with outside of thinly [veiled] bad faith intent,” the message reads. The post banning the historical accuracy debates was locked less than two hours after going live in the morning hours ET on July 28, with mods citing vote brigading as the reason for that move.
Feel free to take your displeasures elsewhere, away from this franchise and its communities.
Some fans have previously labeled debates over Yasuke’s role inAssassin’s Creed Shadowsas racist dog whistles. This ban underlines the popularity of that sentiment, and marks the 718,000-strong subreddit’s biggest attempt at cracking down on such “concern trolling” to date. “Feel free to take your displeasures elsewhere, away from this franchise and its communities,” the ban’s announcement concludes.
The backlash over Yasuke does not appear to have impacted the game’s pre-release momentum. On the contrary, Ubisoft is reportedly happy with its pre-order performance, and even the most expensive,$280 editions ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowshave already been sold outin some places since May 2024. The game itself is scheduled for release on November 15.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.
