The Assassin’s Creed series has been a long-standing Ubisoft staple since 2007, with the historical stealth franchise spanning 13 entries. Popularity-wise, this series has brought some incredible action-adventure installments with Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag receiving critical acclaim. For years, fans have been asking for a title set within Japan centered around ninjas, given the emphasis on stealth combat. Ubisoft finally heard the call and announced what would later be dubbed Assassin’s Creed Shadows in September 2022. Since that time, criticisms ranging from Yasuke’s appearance to underdeveloped gameplay quality have led to the game going from most-anticipated by fans to some suggesting they’ll sit out this upcoming installment.
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For context, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set in 16th-century Japan near the end of the Sengoku period, which is when social discourse and civil wars were a constant for over a century. The title will have two protagonists, the first being Naoe, a female shinobi (ninja), and Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by the historical figure from the 15th century. The characters will boast two different gameplay styles, with Naoe centering around stealth-based controls and Yasuke tackling more brute-force movements. While the introduction of two protagonists isn’t new, as we’ve seen in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the discourse surrounding Yasuke became apparent after the premiere trailer in May 2024.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Criticisms
A large portion of the criticism stems from conservative critics and fans, who responded to the inclusion of Yasuke as “woke” and questioned his standing as a “real” samurai. Some brought up the fact that while Yasuke is the first known African to appear in Japanese historical records and was granted the honor of being a weapon-bearer for the powerful Oda Nobunaga, the choice to tell his story rather than that of a native Japanese male was criticized. The backlash grew stronger when Elon Musk took to X and said of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, “DEI kills art.” Game director Charles Benoit explained Yasuke’s status within the game for players to discover Japan through the eyes of a foreigner.
While much of the discourse came from a specific political perspective, when it came to Ubisoft’s gameplay reveal of Assassin’s Creed Shadows during the Ubisoft Forward in June 2024, the criticism grew even louder. The trailer featured the two different combat styles in action, which did receive some praise from fans, but the visual and audio design left a lot to be desired. With choppy animation, a lack of facial expressions, and awkward dialogue, many felt discouraged about what Ubisoft was working on in the next Assassin’s Creed game.
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If that wasn’t bad enough, Shadows was later delayed from its release date on November 15, 2024, to February 14, 2025. Ubisoft cited the criticism from the Star Wars Outlaws launch as a reason to further polish Shadows. Following this, Ubisoft canceled the season pass for Assassin’s Creed Shadows and gave out refunds for existing pre-orders, which were available before gameplay was showcased to the public. As the date grew closer and closer, Ubisoft once again delayed the game from February to March 20, 2025, as the company took “decisive steps” to reshape the company and explore sales options.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows After the Delays
While the game has received frequent criticisms, some made in good faith and some otherwise, Ubisoft has addressed many of them throughout the development of Shadows. Recently, ComicBook spoke to creative director Jonathan Dumont, who noted that the delays have been “super helpful” for the team. They also brought up the possibility of getting a co-op mode in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but want to focus on getting the upcoming title out first before getting into multiplayer.
A good number of Assassin’s Creed fans are excited about the upcoming title, with many pinpointing the return of stealth-based gameplay as a positive, which has been missing in many previous installments. Still, the negative comments overshadow the support of those who want to see Shadows succeed. While the hype behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows might still be there, many are waiting patiently to see if the project was worth the long wait.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC on March 20, 2025.
