Assassin’s Creed Boss Calls Shadows’ Inclusivity Backlash ‘Devastating’

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team has been facing a difficult time amid an ongoing anti-inclusivity controversy affecting their creative process.

Speaking at a BAFTA event in London, Marc-Alexis Coté, the current director of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, addressed the controversy, noting its significant impact on the development team, including many staff members.

Effects on the Team

As you may know, a certain fringe of players did not appreciate the presence of Yasuke, the black samurai, and became particularly vocal on the point. Coté, who had previously touched on this subject, even debating with Elon Musk, defended the team in an impartial manner, calling it a challenge in representing diversity in media. He emphasized that the debate should be seen as an opportunity for improvement, rather than purely negative.

He explained,

Assassin’s Creed has always been about exploring the full spectrum of human history, and by its very nature, that history is diverse. Staying true to history means embracing the richness of human perspectives – without compromise. For example, in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we highlight figures, both fictional like Naoe, a Japanese woman warrior, and historical, like Yasuke, the African born samurai. While the inclusion of a Black samurai in feudal Japan has sparked questions and even controversy, Naoe, as a fictional character, has also faced scrutiny for her gender.

Coté also explained that the authors, with the presence of two such different characters, wanted to represent the conflict between two worlds and their cultures. He also stressed that it is not the first time the Assassin’s Creed series has included diverse characters: “our commitment to inclusivity is grounded in historical authenticity and respect for diverse perspectives, not driven by modern agendas.”

Coté went on to discuss distinguishing attacks made out of pure intolerance from genuine feedback that could help improve the game. He explained, “The current climate is tough on our creative teams. They face lies, half truths and personal attacks online. When the work they pour their hearts into is twisted into a symbol of division, it’s not just disheartening, it can be devastating.”

In short, these controversies have a profound effect on the team members, especially when they arise from misinformation and various falsehoods.

Just as a reminder, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set for release on February 11, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.