Ubisoft head Yves Guillemot revealed a fiery presentation that aired during Paris Games Week. The video, which came as a surprise to many, presented the company's narrative about the furore during Assassin's Creed Shadows' pre-release marketing cycle.
"What happens when a legendary franchise reveals one of its most anticipated experiences?" the narrator asks (transcribed by Game File). "Only to become the game everyone loves to hate? When conversation shifts from gameplay to ideology? When everything you say only adds fuel to the fire?"
Before the eventual successful release of Shadows, the game was delayed twice and had become embroiled in a sort of culture war. The game's dual protagonists, a Japanese woman and an African man, sparked commentary from the usual crowd about forced diversity. These half-witted conversations seemed to blow past the fact that Yasuke is a real-life historical figure.
Another major talking point was a video that emerged of a player destroying a shrine in an early build of Shadows. This video proved controversial in Japan, and Ubisoft removed the ability to destroy shrines in the full release of Shadows.
"In September 2024, we had our backs against the wall, and that's when it clicked,"...
