Assassin's Creed Dev Criticizes Elon Musk Over Comments on Black Samurai Yasuke : Games : Gamenguide

An Assassin's Creed lead has responded to criticism from Elon Musk over Assassin's Creed Shadows' inclusion of a Black samurai main protagonist.

One of the main characters in Assassin's Creed Shadows is Yasuke, a Black samurai. This sparked debate, with some people claiming the choice was historically inaccurate. Elon Musk tweeted, "DEI kills art," referring to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which added fuel to the fire.

(Photo : Ubisoft / Screenshot taken from the official website.)

Musk's Tweet Sparks Controversy

In an interview with Game File, Marc-Alexis Côté, vice president and executive producer of the Assassin's Creed series, addressed Musk's tweet. "That tweet generated emotions," Côté said."Initially, I considered reactivating a deleted account to respond directly," Côté shared. "However, I opted to use a mindfulness app to manage my emotions."

Côté criticized Musk, saying he is "feeding hatred," but chose not to engage directly. "Attacking someone like Elon won't help us convince people of our team's perspective," Côté explained.

Historical Accuracy and Game Vision

Yasuke was a real historical figure, known as the first documented person of African origin in Japan. He served the Japanese daimyÅ Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582. "We've got a super-mysterious historical character from which not much is known about," Côté said. "And for us, it embodies our vision for Assassin's Creed."

Côté emphasized that Musk's opinion does not reflect the game they are creating. "Players need to experience the game firsthand. If, within the opening 11 minutes and 47 seconds, they aren't persuaded by our approach, then we can engage in further discussion."

Côté suggested that this particular moment could involve an early cutscene shedding light on Yasuke. Upon my recent review of the game, I came to realize, "the answer is there!"' I hope people will approach this with an open mind and see the game for what it truly is-an Assassin's Creed title that I believe is our finest yet."