“The Assassin’s Creed Shadows team has a message”: Ubisoft Reacts to Criticisms From Some Vocal Gamers in a Franchise First
The developer breaks its silence on the controversy surrounding the upcoming title.
It has been an uphill battle for Assassin’s Creed Shadows ever since its existence was revealed and the developers shared the highly anticipated initial footage for a video game that fans have been looking forward to for years at this point. Recreating games based on real historical settings is not an easy feat to achieve, as there are a lot of elements that have the potential of going wrong, especially when it comes to the authenticity of the period that the title is set in.
While Ubisoft has done a pretty fine job with its Assassin’s Creed series till now, it has not had the best luck with Shadows, and after receiving plenty of criticism from the Japanese community of players, the studio has broken its silence on the matter with an extensive statement.
The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Developers Address the Japanese Community
Earlier today, the Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team took to the game’s official X channel to address the controversies that have been surrounding the upcoming title even before players have had the chance to actually try it out for themselves.
In the nearly two decades that the Assassin’s Creed franchise has been around, the developer has not really had to go to these lengths to clear the air regarding a new release, but this time, it felt important for Ubisoft to take care of any misunderstandings caused by the promotional material for the next installment.
As Japanese fans in particular were not too fond of the historical inaccuracies and artistic liberties that the developer is taking with the Feudal Japan-set entry in the long-running series, the team states that it shares the community’s “passion for history and deeply” respects the kind of “care for the historical and cultural integrity” that players have been showing for their “rich heritage.”
“We aim to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings we get inspired by,” wrote the Assassin’s Creed Shadows developer in regards to the level of “authenticity” that the game is set to feature. Ubisoft states that it has never presented any of its Assassin’s Creed games as actual facts and that creating “an entertaining video game that tells a compelling, historical fiction” in various settings has always been the goal.
Ubisoft Apologizes for the Promotional Material It Has Been Sharing
Ubisoft has been making quite a few mistakes during the on-going promotional phase of the next Assassin’s Creed title, an example of which is the developer directly taking an iconic weapon from One Piece and presenting it as something authentically original for its own game.
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“We sincerely apologize,” wrote the team, acknowledging the concerns that the Japanese community has had about Assassin’s Creed Shadows while also confirming that the game will be going through the necessary changes until it finally launches.
“The game will keep evolving until launch,” assured the developer while trying to justify the “creative liberties” that it has always taken throughout the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
While not every Assassin’s Creed fan seems to be bothered by historical inaccuracies in the upcoming title, Ubisoft has faced more than enough disapproval, and the detailed statement shows that the developer wants to get back into the Japanese community’s good graces before it is too late.
