A Japanese Petition Against Assassin’s Creed Shadows Has Surfaced Online

A Change.org petition has surfaced online from Japan. The petition aims to ban the upcoming action RPG Assassin’s Creed Shadows.  The petition is currently close to its 50,000 signature goal with over 42,000 signatures at the time of writing. According to the petition, fans believe the upcoming game is historically inaccurate and doesn’t portray the fact that samurai are the upper echelon of the samurai class. It also claims that “this is a serious insult to Japanese culture and history, and can also be linked to Asian racism.” Ever since its official reveal, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has seen some backlash with some fans as they believe the title is historically inaccurate due to the presence of Yasuke, one of the main leads of the game, being a black samurai.  Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch on November 15 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you “become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny.”

The translated description of the petition:

Recently, the lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect has been a serious issue regarding the upcoming game “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” by game developer Ubisoft. The game is based on Japanese samurai and ignores the fact that samurai were a higher class of warrior class and should have been “gokenin” or servants of nobles. In fact, the first European to receive the title of samurai, William Adams (Miura Anjin), served Tokugawa Ieyasu as a 250 koku hatamoto. In this history, Ubisoft continues to misunderstand the nature and role of samurai. This is a serious insult to Japanese culture and history, and may also be linked to Asian racism. We call on Ubisoft to immediately cancel the release of “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” and show sincere research and respect for Japanese history and culture. We need your signature. Sign this petition to let Ubisoft know the importance of cultural respect and historical accuracy.

The game’s details:

Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.

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