The team behind Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows issued an apology to the Japanese community after the game's marketing "caused concern."
The post, which was made on X, formerly known as Twitter, explained the project's stance on historical authenticity on top of the apology. The four-page message was posted in both English and Japanese languages.
Ubisoft Issues Apology
It explained that Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows was not intended to be a factual representation of history. It described it as a "compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan."
The developers had hoped that the game would "spark curiosity" in players who will then hopefully research the historical period that Assassin's Creed Shadows is inspired by.
The studio also emphasizes that the game was made in collaboration with external consultants and historians.
However, Ubisoft still recognizes the mistake, saying that despite its efforts, some elements in its promotional materials for Assassin's Creed Shadows have caused concern within the Japanese community, according to IGN.
The studio's post, while offering limited detail about what it was actually apologizing for, probably talked about a piece of concept art. This was one that featured the flag of a Japanese historical re-enactment group.
The flag in question is a modern-day creation and is not historical and was something that Ubisoft used without the group's permission. The group that it was taken from was the Sekigahara Teppo-tai group.
Despite the studio apologizing for its usage of the flag without the group's permission, the concept art will remain in the physical art book that is featured in Assassin's Creed Shadows' collector's edition.
Assassin's Creed Shadow's Historical Accuracy
In the past few months, Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed title has been the center of controversy over its historical accuracy.
The main issue that a lot of people have is that one of the two protagonists, Yasuke, who is portrayed as a Black samurai, was never actually a samurai, said GamesRadar.
Ubisoft also said in its post that while it consulted with many people throughout the development process of Assassin's Creed Shadows, they are not responsible for the decisions that are taken by the studio's creative teams.
The company was kindly asking that any criticism of the game and its historical accuracy or inaccuracy not be directed at its collaborators, both internal and external.
The post also explained that the Assassin's Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures.
It added that since the inception of the franchise, the series has taken creative license and incorporated fantasy elements in order to craft engaging and immersive experiences for players, according to Ubisoft.
