Ubisoft has issued an apology to a real-life Japanese historical re-enactment group after the company used the group's flag for Assassin's Creed Shadows concept art without permission.
The post was made by Ubisoft Japan on X, formerly known as Twitter, as it admitted that it used the flag in two pieces of art without asking for permission from the group. The studio also said that it apologized to the flag's owner, Sekigahara Teppo-tai.
Ubisoft Issues Apology
(Photo : Ubisoft / Screenshot taken from official website)
The latter is a historical re-enactment group that is made up of volunteers who perform for the public at various festivals and other events. Eagle-eyed fans first discovered the identical recreation of the flag in a piece of concept art for the Japan-set game alongside its full reveal.
The issue was raised to a leading member of the Sekigahara Teppo-tai group and an image was posted on X of the real flag that was taken on Oct. 27, 2019. The user expressed concern at it being used by Ubisoft Japan without their permission, according to IGN.
The company has since apologized for the matter and said that it would no longer use the associated artwork with one exception. This is the presumably already printed physical art book that was featured in the Collector's Edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Ubisoft said that it had worked hard to make the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows as "authentic as possible." The game was fully revealed in May 2024 and features a Japan setting where players will take control of two protagonists; shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke.
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When the company posted its apology to the Sekigahara Teppo-tai group, it said that it received various complaints for the use of the flag. It added that the group has accepted the studio's apology on the matter to settle the issue once and for all, said PCGamer.
The issue comes as Assassin's Creed Shadows is facing another dilemma as a Japanese petition to have the game canceled has garnered tens of thousands of signatures. The game itself has proven to be controversial since it was first revealed to the public.
Controversy Around Assassin's Creed Shadows
The issue is primarily because one of the protagonists, Yasuke, is based on a real-life historical figure from feudal Japan. Many Japanese users have argued that Ubisoft was part of spreading historical inaccuracies with how it depicted the character.
The Change.org petition was organized by an individual known as Shimizu Toru who criticized the game's historical accuracy with regards to Yasuke. The petition wrote that it was a "serious insult" to Japanese culture, going so far as accusing it of racism.
While there are clearly a lot of people who are not happy about Ubisoft's upcoming game, there is currently no way for the petition to have any significant impact on the title's release. Many of the petitions against video games are ignored and people are expecting the same to happen to this one.
If no delays occur, Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on multiple platforms globally on Nov. 15, 2024, according to GameRant.
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