The reveal of Assassin's Creed Shadows should have been a time of celebration for the community, as it seems to strike the right chords in so many ways, but it has unfortunately been mired in a racist "backlash." There are two protagonists, African Samurai Yasuke and Japanese Shinobi Naoe, and many have decried Yasuke simply for the color of his skin. This entire response has been childish, racist, and outright outlandish, and a new development in this tirade has led to a digitally altered version of the Assassin's Creed Shadows trailer that essentially replaces Yasuke's face with George Floyd's.
As many should be aware, George Floyd was a Black man murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin back in 2020, after the latter knelt on Floyd's neck and back for over 9 minutes. Chauvin was later convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd's death happened on May 25, 2020, exactly four years ago as of this writing. It's possible the creator of this digitally altered Assassin's Creed Shadows video was not aware of this or perhaps they were; either way, it's a disgusting action that should have never taken place.
Assassin's Creed Shadows: 5 Things You Need To Know About Naoe
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Making the rounds on social media like Twitter, the video takes 9 seconds from the official Assassin's Creed Shadows World Premiere trailer, which features Yasuke for less than half of that. It's the section of the trailer that seemingly depicts how Assassin's Creed Shadows' spies are going to work. However, Yasuke's face has been altered to resemble George Floyd's. The poster dubbed it as an "official" teaser for a George Floyd skin.
The above screenshot is taken from the falsified trailer. Due to its disgusting nature, we will not be hosting the content here.
AC Shadows: The Yasuke 'Controversy'
The Yasuke "controversy" has been pushed by many social media users, practically all of whom have hidden behind fake accounts and profile pictures, claiming that it doesn't make sense that he's the protagonist. Arguments have stated that he wasn't a samurai (he was), that he should be Japanese (Naoe is right there), that he's not historically accurate (he is the most historically accurate Assassin's Creed protagonist to date), and more. It's very clear that these arguments are all smoke and mirrors, and it's hard to imagine the disgusting reaction to Yasuke crossing another line, but somehow it did.
Everyone at Ubisoft who poured their hearts into Assassin's Creed Shadows and Yasuke does not deserve this reaction, but much more than that, George Floyd's memory does not deserve to be used in this manner. His family should not be reminded of his death in such a manner.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Released
- November 15, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Amazon Luna
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, RPG
