According to a new report, Ubisoft has created an “anti-harassment plan” to protect Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ development team. This comes in the wake of consistent backlash against the game from apparent ‘anti-woke/anti-DEI’ content creators, their followers, and some of the series’ player base.
Since Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ reveal, some have taken issue with its portrayal of the historical figure Yasuke, a samurai of African origin. Separately, gaming collectibles creator PureArts also came under fire for being “insensitive” towards Japanese culture, pulling a figurine that saw dual protagonists Naoe and Yasuke standing in front of a one-legged torii gate. This indirectly referenced the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki during World War II, as the only one-legged torii gate in Japan stands at the city’s Sannō Shrine.
Speaking to French media outlet BFMTV, an anonymous Ubisoft employee claims that an “anti-harassment plan” has been implemented that discourages developers from using social media. “We’re advised not to post on social media that we work at Ubisoft to avoid harassment,” they state. Note that we have relied on machine translation for these quotes.
The report claims that Ubisoft’s plan is perhaps based on guidance from Canada’s Communications Security Establishment. “It’s an initiative from Canada. There’s a team that monitors networks and acts quickly in the event of a targeted attack. Unlike what we’ve had before, this is serious.”
Reportedly, “messages posted by internet users on X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, or even videos on YouTube will be closely monitored by a dedicated unit in order to respond quickly to the slightest problem. Lawyers are already ready to file complaints in the event of proven harassment.”
PCGamesN has contacted Ubisoft for comment, and we’ll update this article if we receive a response.
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