Knightly Musings: Ubisoft Hiding Behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows Development Team’s Non Apology Is Pathetic

Today’s press statement to the Japanese Community from the Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team addressing the controversies around Ubisoft’s latest game has ignited a new series of discussions within the video game community. While video game journalists see this as the company capitulating to the “mob,” I see it as a non apology that wasn’t even published or written by the heads of Ubisoft. Instead, Ubisoft continues to remain silent and hides behind the development team which created this mess and while it is pathetic; it is not surprising.

There will be many Ubisoft apologists, both gamers and journalists, who will try and perform mental gymnastics to say that Ubisoft did make a statement. Which, if that were the case, then why does it explicitly start with “a message from the Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team?” Or that it ends by saying “The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Development Team.”

In fact, nowhere in the press release on X or the official website mentions Ubisoft or any of its higher-ups. The only time Ubisoft is mentioned is not even the main branch but Ubisoft Japan which has had to deal with the backlash from, not only Japanese gamers, but encroaching interest from politicians and even celebrities. 

This unapologetic update made sure to reiterate the fact that this was “designed to be an entertaining video game that tells a compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan.” That the “Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures.” Which is interesting since Ubisoft stated, as a fact, Yasuke is “a real-life historical samurai.”

Ubisoft’s words, not mine.

What is interesting about this update to the community is that it comes shortly after a number of Japanese politicians have started to look into Ubisoft, the topic of Yasuke, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, as of the posting of this editorial, the Japanese government appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach to Assassin’s Creed Shadows and has pointed out that it is a video game. Which is why, I surmise, this update from the development team goes back to mentioning that it is a game multiple times. One could assume that they are doing so to keep the Japanese politicians at bay from taking further steps. 

But why is Ubisoft staying quiet?

So far, the only time an Ubisoft higher-up has even lightly touched this topic is Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot; but only to condemn any harassment of the development team. Which is fine, no one should be personally attacked, harassed, or threatened. The only thing gamers should be doing is speaking out against the issues surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows with facts and logic while addressing the bad takes from the development team behind it in a similar manner. 

But I find that Ubisoft’s silence speaks volume. It leads me to postulate that Ubisoft is scared to officially say anything on their end and are letting the Shadows dev team take all the flak from the community. Ubisoft can’t afford for Shadows to fail since it is one of two major games being released by the company. The strategy could be that they try to win back some of the Japanese gamers but, in the overall scheme, Japan’s market sector is small compared to the American and European markets. Ubisoft can’t afford to lose those markets and will resort to lies and misdirection to make sure they sell their product (which they have a history of doing).

However, it could be that Ubisoft, and its higher-ups, are keeping their distance from Assassin’s Creed Shadows because it is also trying to save its other big title – Star Wars Outlaws. Which, like Shadows, is being scrutinized by the gaming community but defended by video game journalists to a much milder degree: masculine jaw/unattractiveness, lackluster gameplay, disappointing graphics, and seemingly unpolished. If you don’t believe me, check out the comments sections of IGN’s YouTube video featuring 10 minutes of gameplay. 

That said, if you’ve been keeping abreast of Ubisoft, it’s not hard to figure out that the company is not doing so well. Its stocks have plummeted from a high back in 2021 of €85.18 to €19.52 today. There is also the fact that, earlier this year, Ubisoft made a deal with Chinese mega conglomerate Tencent. In that deal, Tencent acquired a minority stake in Ubisoft equating to a 49.9% economic stake with 5% voting rights that would inject $357 million into the company’s coffers. As part of the deal, Tencent would also provide the company with an unspecified, long-term loan (you can read about the full details here).

Knowing this information, I doubt Ubisoft can afford to let one of these big games fail – let alone both. They are going to try and mitigate any potential losses by almost any means necessary. Especially since Skull and Bones, which was released in February of this year, did not do so well due to its steep pricing, failure to live up to the blatant lie that it was a “quadruple A game,” and that it is light on features. 

For Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it is about damage control for the Japanese market, side-stepping any potential legal fallout, while “pandering” to the Western market – both sides. If they think it is possible. With Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft executives are hoping to cash in on the Star Wars brand name which used to sell all kinds of merchandise. But it’s a brand that has been seriously compromised by Disney’s mishandling of the franchise.

Yet, whatever their reasons, Ubisoft’s silence in the wake of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows controversy is pathetic and disgusting. 

Why do you think Ubisoft is staying silent over Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

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