A petition from Japanese gamers calls for canceling Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Shimizu Toru expressed concern over the lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect in a game based on the samurai of Japan. According to the petition, the game ignores essential historical facts about the Samurai class.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Game Fragment
“Recently, game developer Ubisoft has been heavily criticized for the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows for its lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect. This game focuses on Japanese samurai, ignoring the fact that samurai belong to the upper stratum of the warrior class and should serve as vassals of the nobility.“
The petition mentions William Adams (Miura Anjin), the first European to receive the samurai title, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ubisoft’s misinterpretation of the samurai’s essence and role is considered a serious affront to Japanese culture and history.
The document calls on Ubisoft to cease developing the game, conduct research, and show respect for Japanese history and culture. When the post was published, the petition had garnered 25,300 signatures.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Game Fragment
“Ubisoft still doesn’t understand the essence and role of samurai throughout history. This is a serious insult to Japanese culture and history and may contribute to anti-Asian racism. We call on Ubisoft to immediately suspend the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, conduct a thorough investigation, and show respect for Japanese history and culture.“
The petition was created after several Japanese gamers criticized Ubisoft and the game, especially after Assistant Narrative Director Brooke Davis called the game “fiction” in a video. Davis explained that the game’s story is historical fiction based on historical events and figures but created by Ubisoft’s writing team in collaboration with historical researchers and consultants.
