Ever since Ubisoft unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows, a vocal group of fans across the internet has continually voiced outrage that one of its protagonists, Yasuke, is Black. Petitions have been made to cancel and boycott the game, even though Yasuke is based on a real historical figure, and the Japanese trailer was bombarded with dislikes.
Ubisoft has finally addressed the backlash in an official capacity, defending the choice to make Yasuke one of the two leads in the game; "His unique and mysterious life made him an ideal candidate to tell an Assassin's Creed story with the setting of Feudal Japan as a backdrop.
Our intention has never been to present any of our Assassin's Creed games as factual representations of history, or historical characters.
"While Yasuke is depicted as a samurai in Assassin's Creed Shadows, we acknowledge that this is a matter of debate and discussion. We have woven this carefully into our narrative and with our other lead character, the Japanese shinobi Naoe".
This letter was penned directly to the community, explaining why Yasuke was chosen as one of the protagonists, going into detail on how the series approaches not only historical contexts but also real figures. However,...
