Assassin’s Creed got their proverbial hands slapped by outraged fans over a statue that some felt depicted Nagasaki in 1945. This all comes on the heels of Ubisoft saying it will begin to cull out what it calls historical inaccuracies. It even caused the title to delay into February of next year.
Purearts, the creator of the statue, issued an apology over the statue on X.
Reactions were of course, mixed, with some folks blessing the change and others asking why people are always offended and why companies keep reacting to it.
So what was the issue precisely?
The statue featured Chibi-style versions of protagonists Yasuke and Naoe standing before a one-legged Torii gate, a symbol closely associated with the atomic blast in Nagasaki in 1945. This structure, located just 900 meters from the blast’s epicenter, was one of the few to survive. The explosion, with temperatures exceeding 4,000 degrees Celsius, claimed over 35,000 lives in under a second.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
is the latest installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, set to release on February 14, 2025. The game is set in feudal Japan during the late Sengoku period, offering a mix of historical and fictional narratives. Players will switch between two protagonists: Naoe, a shinobi assassin from Iga Province, and Yasuke, a legendary African samurai who served under Oda Nobunaga.
The game features an open-world environment, spanning various landscapes such as castle towns, shrines, and war-torn regions. Both characters have distinct playstyles—Naoe specializes in stealth and agility, while Yasuke wields powerful weapons like the katana and kanabo for direct combat. The dynamic environment, weather, and seasons add depth to the stealth and exploration aspects of the game.
One key aspect of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is its integration of both character-driven narratives and strategic elements, such as building a network of spies to gather information and recruit allies to help with missions.
The game also faced early controversies, including criticism of historical accuracy and some problematic designs in collectible statues (hence, this article). However, Ubisoft has remained committed to delivering a polished and culturally respectful experience.