Summary
- Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows display at Japan Expo 2024 featured a replica katana from One Piece, sparking controversy among fans of the popular manga.
- Fans are questioning the due diligence behind Assassin's Creed Shadows, especially after the mishap with the One Piece sword at the expo.
- Controversies surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows raise larger industry questions on representation, historical accuracy, and developer diligence.
During Japan Expo 2024, Ubisoft displayed a number of Japanese cultural items to decorate a booth promoting Assassin's Creed Shadows, but fans quickly noticed that one of the items on show was actually a replica of a katana from the smash-hit manga and anime One Piece. Assassin's Creed Shadows has already faced a slew of controversies, and this latest gaff has once again drawn the ire of audiences.
Announced on May 15, Assassin's Creed Shadows will be the first AC game to take players to feudal Japan and will feature a mixture of historical figures and locations alongside fictional characters and storylines. While the premise and gameplay of Assassin's Creed Shadows have excited players, fans are now once again questioning the due diligence surrounding the title and its promotion.
Capcom Veteran Defends Assassin's Creed Shadows
A seasoned Capcom game designer disagrees with the negative discourse surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows and its choice of protagonists.
In response to a social media post from an attendee at Japan Exo 2024, many comments pointed out that one of the photos shared from the Assassin's Creed Shadows booth was of a replica One Piece katana. Staff at the booth had allegedly told guests that the displayed weapon represented the sword of Yasuke, one of the two playable protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows. However, One Piece fans identified the replica as that of character Roronoa Zoro's blade Kitetsu, even finding the item online and sparking outcry. Some have accused Ubisoft of misrepresenting Japanese culture by claiming a sword from an anime to be a replica of a piece owned by a real historical figure, though others believe that the blunder may have been a genuine mistake. At the time of writing, Ubisoft has not formally acknowledged or responded to the incident.
Controversies Around Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft has already faced backlash from audiences surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows, with some grievances more severe than others. While a number of fans have voiced complaints about historical accuracy regarding certain characters and even architecture, others have had more direct issues with the developer. Namely, the banner of a real life Japanese reenactment group was spotted in concept art for the game, prompting Ubisoft to issue a formal apology. With yet another real world mishap, this time with the One Piece sword, many fans are keeping a critical eye on future promotions for Assassin's Creed Shadows.
The controversies surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows have raised a variety of larger questions within the video game industry, including conversations on representation in gaming, historical accuracy versus artistic liberty, and developer diligence. In spite of unease among some, many fans are excited to finally explore a Japanese realm of assassins when Assassin's Creed Shadows launches November 15.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Released
- March 20, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Assassin's Creed Shadows is the fourteenth major installment in the Assassin's Creed Franchise and this time takes place in Feudal Japan. The release includes new mechanics like crawling and allows players to swap between characters to complete the main storyline.
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
