- Ubisoft would have canceled a Assassin’s Creed game featuring a black assassin during the post-Civil War period due to the political state of the United States and subsequent backlash Shadows of Assassin’s Creed“Yasuke
- The game would have primarily taken place during the Reconstruction period and featured a black man and former slave taking on the Ku Klux Klan.
- Sources say it was canceled in July 2024 because the game would have been “too political in a country that was too unstable.”
Ubisoft would have canceled a Assassin’s Creed game that would have featured a black protagonist set during the post-American Civil War period due to the current political state of the United States and subsequent backlash Shadows of Assassin’s Creed“Yasuke.
That’s according to Game File, which reports that the game was canceled in July 2024 and would have focused on the American Civil War, as well as the Reconstruction period that followed in the 1860s and 1870s.
Sources said the Reconstruction-era game would have featured a black man and former slave from the South who heads west to start a new life. The character is said to have been recruited by the Assassins, who would then return to the South to fight the Ku Klux Klan.
While the majority of the game would have taken place in the Reconstruction era and dealt with topics such as the rights of former black slaves, the reintegration of the former Confederate states into the United States, racial violence, and the re-emergence of white supremacy, part of the game would also have featured flashback sequences set during the Civil War.
The game was in its early stages at Ubisoft Quebec’s Shadows studio in Paris, before being abandoned in July last year. Five current and former Ubisoft employees said the development team was excited about the project but frustrated when Ubisoft canceled it.
Three sources stated that the game was canceled by Ubisoft management for two reasons: one being due to the online backlash Ubisoft received for Shadows‘, Yasuke, protagonist of the historically inspired black samurai, and the second being the tense political climate of the United States.
“Too political in a country that’s too unstable, long story short,” a source told Game File.
“I was terribly disappointed but not surprised by the leadership,” another source said. “They are making more and more decisions to maintain the political status quo and are not taking any positions, any risks, even creative ones.”
In September 2024, continued Shadows of Assassin’s Creed‘ delay and amid backlash from Yasuke, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot shared a statement addressing “polarized comments.”
“I want to reiterate that we are an entertainment-driven company, creating games for the widest possible audience, and that our goal is not to promote any specific agenda,” Guillemot said at the time.
“We remain committed to creating games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”
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