Ubisoft CEO says "our goal is not to push any specific agenda" amid "polarized comments" circling Assassin's Creed Shadows
Sep. 25, 2024Yves Guillemot just won’t let this go
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Ubisofthas seemingly again commented on the backlash toAssassin’s Creed Shadows' Black protagonist, this time saying it isn’t pushing any specific agenda.
In case you’re among the lucky few to have missed it, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been through the ringer since it was announced back in May. Certain corners of the internet pounced on it for a perceived lack ofhistorical accuracyandforced diversity. Meanwhile, its reveal sparked a heated debate over whether its Black protagonist, Yasuke, was actually a real-life Samurai (he was), and completely unrelated to all of that,Ubisoft also had to apologize for the unauthorized use of a flag in Shadows' concept art.
Ubisoft has responded strongly to the controversy, withAssassin’s Creed executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté hitting back at Elon Musk for “feeding hatred"in June and CEO Yves Guillemotdenouncing “hateful acts” toward its developersa couple of weeks later. In July, it defended itself against the historical accuracy complaints by reminding fans that, “while we strive for authenticity in everything we do, Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures.”
In a conference call and accompanyingfinancial documentpublished Wednesday, Guillemot struck a notably more neutral tone in addressing “an important problem of perception that has been affecting the company’s performance.”
“Let me address some of the polarized comments around Ubisoft lately,” he said. “I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment-first company, creating games for the broadest possible audience, and our goal is not to push any specific agenda. We remain committed to creating games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”
Meanwhile,Ubisoft said Assassin’s Creed Shadows is “the most ambitious entry in the franchise” and was delayed last-minute because “we really want to make sure execution is flawless”.
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After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
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