Assassin’s Creed Shadows Team Issues Apology to Japanese Fans for Marketing That Has ‘Caused Concern’
The Ubisoft development team working on Assassin’s Creed Shadows has posted a public message to Japanese fans on X/Twitter, which explains the project’s stance on historical authenticity and also apologises for promotional materials that “have caused concern” among the community.
The four-page message, posted in both English and Japanese, explains that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is not intended to be a factual representation of history. Instead, it is described as “a compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan”, and the developers hope that it will “spark curiosity” in players who will then hopefully research the historical period the game is inspired by.
The Assassin's Creed Shadows team has a message for our Japanese community. pic.twitter.com/AIyWNU9YhG
Ubisoft emphasises that Shadows has been made in collaboration with external consultants and historians, but recognises that it has made a mistake. “Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologize.”
While the post offers very limited detail about what Ubisoft is apologising for, it's likely that the “promotional materials” in question is a piece of concept art that features the flag of a Japanese historical re-enactment group. The flag, which is a modern-day creation and not historical, was used without permission from the Sekigahara Teppo-tai group. While Ubisoft has since apologised for using the flag’s design, it will still be printed in the physical art book featured in the collector’s edition of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
The new message from the team notes that the game “will keep evolving until launch.”
“Based on the constructive criticism we have received, we will continue our efforts until we put this game into your hands – and beyond,” it explains.
In addition to the apology regarding the marketing materials, the message also discusses Yasuke, one of Shadows’ two
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