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Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis set to release on March 20th and Ubisoft can’t seem to avoid controversies lately as the newest one has blown up in the company’s face. The final preview for the upcomingAssassin’s Creedtitle just started to get reviews from major gaming outlets and one YouTuber seems to have gotten on the studio’s bad side.
Japanese content creator Shohei Kondo’s videos criticizing the game have been repeatedly removed from YouTube, with Ubisoft accused of labeling the content as “hate speech.” According to people who watched the video, it was anything but, so what is the studio cooking up now?
Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis going to be a big deal, but maybe in the worst ways
Ubisoft has a lot riding onAssassin’s Creed Shadows. The company had one of the worst years possible in 2024 with a number of financial and critical failures. Anticipated and hyped titles like Skull and Bones, and Star Wars Outlaws were underwhelming, to say the least, and even ones with potential likeXDefiant have been shut down.
The removed video is back up. Thank you to everyone who encouraged and supported me. The video has been removed 12 times (so far)! I contacted YouTube and also changed the title. Hopefully, it stays up this time! I spent all day fighting to get it back.pic.twitter.com/6IG8l5zagc
The studio’s reputation has gotten even worse delays, poorly received releases, and accusations of unoriginal game design. With over 20,000 employees across 45 studios worldwide, we understandably have high expectations from the studio. So it’s not a light statement to say that how well thisAssassin’s Creedgame is received will be a big part of Ubisoft’s future.
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In typical Ubisoft fashion though, the game’s reception has already been complicated by accusations of historical inaccuracy and “woke” storytelling. The latest drama with YouTuber Shohei Kondo is not going to help at all either. Kondo alleges that his videos criticizingShadowshave been removed from YouTube multiple times, each time citing “hate speech” despite their constructive tone.
Youtuber and content creator SHOHEI KONDO Gets his assassins creed shadows videos REMOVED for hate speech from YouTube.They are actively trying to suppress real Japanese voices from speaking out against Ubisoft, even when its done in a constructive way like Shohei did.…pic.twitter.com/jGAwN1ZZNE
Thank you for sharing! The video is removed 7 times! Every time the video gets back, it gets removed again and again! I’m contacting YouTube’s internal team
“The video is removed 7 times! Every time the video gets back, it gets removed again and again!” Kondo shared this on social media. Unsurprisingly, the community has rallied behind him in calling out the studio. “They are actively trying to suppress real Japanese voices,” one person commented.
Then there’s the other problems already brought up
The studio has been looking for trouble since the start withAC Shadows. The biggest problem that fans had at the start was the decision to use Yasuke, a Black samurai as one of the two protagonists of the game. While Yasuke was a real person,the historical accuracy of the studio’s portrayalhas been questioned multiple times.
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The biggest problem that fans have had is that Ubisoft isn’t focused on cultural authenticity in its portrayal of feudal Japan. Some Japanese fans have rightfully pointed out thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowsreduces their culture to a checklist of marketable elements rather than offering a genuine exploration of history and heritage. You’d be hard-pressed to find a good reason for these moves.
March 20th is coming quickly and it seems like the entire world wants Ubisoft to fail. The studio can either take these real criticisms seriously or it can double down and go down the path of fading to obscurity. Will you be buying or playingAC Shadowswhen it comes out? Let us know in the comments!
Daniel Royte
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :1368
As part of the FandomWire team, Daniel has followed the hero-shooter genre closely with a focus on titles like VALORANT, Apex Legends, and Marvel Rivals. you may also find him providing insight on the latest AAA titles from Elden Ring to GTA 6 and exploring the world of gacha games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. With more than 1,000 articles under his belt, you’ll need to look no further for a unique insight into every situation.If he’s not looking for the latest video game news, you’ll find him cheering on Ferrari in the race tracks of Formula 1 or at the theatres for the latest MCU releases.
