Ubisoft CEO Condemns ‘Hateful Acts’ Against Developers Following AC Shadows Backlash

ign.com:

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has spoken out about "malicious and personal online attacks" that have been directed at his employees and partners, citing it as one of his major concerns in the games industry at the moment.

Guillemot gave a wide-ranging interview that was posted on the Ubisoft website on Thursday, speaking about various topics including the future of Assassin's Creed, XDefiant, and more. He was also asked what dismays him about the industry currently, and pointed specifically to online harassment in response.

"One thing I am concerned about right now is the malicious and personal online attacks that have been directed at some of our team members and partners," Guillemot said. "I want to make it clear that we, at Ubisoft, condemn these hateful acts in the strongest possible terms, and I encourage the rest of the industry and players to denounce them, too."

While Guillemot didn't mention Assassin's Creed Shadows specifically, his comments follow backlash to the game's male protagonist, a samurai based on the historical Black samurai Yasuke. Some pulled AC Shadows into ongoing harassment campaigns targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts on social media, which the International Game Developers Association (IDGA) condemned in a statement in March.

As for what excites him about the games industry, Guillemot pointed to evolving technology: "If, as game makers, we can adopt and master technological advancements like generative AI and the cloud more quickly, we will be much better positioned to create new, stand-out experiences for players," he said.

Assassin's Creed Shadows will launch on November 12 for those with Ubisoft+ Premium, or those who purchased the Gold or the Ultimate Edition, and will otherwise be available on November 15.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.