Assassin’s Creed Shadows has gone from being a game that felt like a sure-fire slam dunk for Ubisoft, to one that has become embroiled in controversy and divisiveness, and it isn’t even out yet! It is no secret that Ubisoft needs a win both financially and critically, so to see the company carrying out damage control before the game is even out is likely somewhat concerning to shareholders.
Ubisoft appears to be taking a firm stance against the wave of online harassment that has surrounded Assassin’s Creed Shadows by launching an initiative intended to protect its developers from abuse. An anonymous company has said the publisher has set up a dedicated team to monitor online social media platforms and take legal action against those engaging in targeted harassment.
Ubisoft’s Plan to Combat Harassment
According to an anonymous Ubisoft employee who spoke to French media outlet BFMTV, the company has developed an “anti-online harassment plan” specifically for the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This includes active monitoring of social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit, with Ubisoft being prepared to offer psychological and legal support to affected employees. The report even suggests that Ubisoft has advised developers not to publicly disclose their employment at the company to avoid being targeted.
Perhaps the most striking detail is that Ubisoft’s legal team is reportedly prepared to take legal action against confirmed cases of harassment. This move has raised questions about how the company will define harassment; will it only be used to target genuine threats, or could it be used to suppress justified criticism of Assassin’s Creed Shadows upon release?
The Dark Reality of Working On a Title Like Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The discussion around Ubisoft’s anti-harassment stance gained significant attention following a sobering, now-deleted tweet from game developer Lilith Lea. The chilling statement underscores the severity of the verbal abuse developers can face over seemingly trivial creative choices. If something as minor as the color of the rooftops in Assassin’s Creed Mirage could provoke such extreme threats, it’s easy to see why Ubisoft is pre-emptively taking steps to safeguard its developers ahead of Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ release.
The controversy permeating Assassin’s Creed Shadows revolves around the game’s two protagonists; Naoe and Yasuke. Some have claimed that Ubisoft has brought this controversy on itself by choosing to cast an African Samurai in a lead role, perhaps hoping to drum up more conversation surrounding the game than would have taken place otherwise.
Naoe, a female shinobi, is the other playable protagonist. Sadly, a strong undercurrent of misogyny persists within a vocal segment of the modern gaming audience, likely rooted in feelings of inferiority and a misplaced sense of repression, causing many straight white males, (who make up the majority of the market,) to feel victimized despite being a part of the most privileged segment of society.
Whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows results in the same harassment of Ubisoft employees as in the past is likely to be a saddening answer, but one thing is for sure, Ubisoft is finally taking it seriously.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out how Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is a big problem for The Last of Us Part 3 fans, or how Prime Video’s God of War show has hit a potential issue already.
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Daniel Boyd is the former Co-Lead of Gaming at FandomWire, where he helped build the gaming team from the ground up and successfully managed a team of 30+ writers. Experienced in SEO optimization and content strategy, he has a keen eye for detail and a deep passion for pop culture. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Daniel has worked with companies worldwide, crafting high-quality, engaging content that resonates with audiences across the globe.
