“Various circumstances”: Vague Reasons Aside, Ubisoft Japan Canceling Its TGS Appearance Could Be a Worrying Sign of What’s to Come
Ubisoft Japan was scheduled to host an online stream on September 26 during the Tokyo Game Show 2024.
- With Skull and Bones, XDefiant, and Star Wars Outlaws not performing too well, Ubisoft's 2024 journey has been rocky.
- Gearing up to launch Assassin's Creed Shadows in November, the studio and its fans have all their hopes resting on the title.
- Just a couple of days before its scheduled appearance at TGS 2024, Ubisoft Japan has canceled its online stream.
2024 has not been the greatest year for Ubisoft or its dwindling fanbase thanks to back-to-back AAA failures that the developer seems to be having a hard time getting over. With all hopes on the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows to help redeem the studio in the eyes of its player base and bring back some of the glory that it has lost in the last few years, it looks like the developer itself is not confident enough in its rapport with Japanese audiences.
That has resulted in Ubisoft Japan canceling its Tokyo Game Show 2024 appearance, which does not exactly point to a great future for the company or the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Backlash Keeps Haunting Ubisoft
Kicking off the year with Skull and Bones and a less than ideal reception that stopped the game from progressing any further after its initial launch, along with some other major titles not performing as well as Ubisoft might have hoped, the studio’s 2024 journey has been rocky to say the least, resulting in many fans believing that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has an important responsibility resting on its shoulders.
But considering the kind of reaction that the developer received from the Japanese community regarding its highly anticipated Japan-set Assassin’s Creed installment, the upcoming title may not be able to carry out its duty in the most effective manner.
In fact, Ubisoft Japan was scheduled to appear in an online stream at Tokyo Game Show 2024 in just a couple of days, as it was all set to provide updates on various titles, including Shadows, the recently released Star Wars Outlaws, and the problematic XDefiant.
Unfortunately, the studio has officially announced that it will not be going through with the initial plan, citing “various circumstances” as a vague reason for not being able to host the showcase.
Naturally, Ubisoft Japan’s announcement has been met with plenty of skepticism, suggesting that perhaps the developer is just not prepared to face a Japanese audience even after apologizing to the community in an extensive message back in July.
The Developer May Not Be Ready to Face the Japanese Community
To put things into more context, some of the content that Ubisoft revealed during the Assassin’s Creed Shadows marketing phase did not sit right with many members of its Japanese fanbase, leading the studio to address the situation to try and get back in the good graces of its players.
Which could have played a huge role in Ubisoft Japan’s decision to cancel its TGS appearance, as fans pointed out that the unclear reasons that the developer provided regarding its stream cancellation may not be showing the full picture.
Despite having an excellent track record in the past with many successful franchises, players believe that the recent developments in Ubisoft’s path could mark the end for the studio as a whole in the near future.
The gradual disintegration of Ubisoft has become more glaring than ever in 2024, and at the rate things are going, Assassin’s Creed Shadows may have its work cut out for it if it wants to save the studio from its eventual downfall.
