We have some additional insight into the reasons behind the last-minute postponement of “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” which was originally set for release on November 12, 2024, for PC and consoles. This information comes from Tom Henderson, who is known for accessing even classified files. In conversations with anonymous Ubisoft employees, the Insider Gaming journalist reveals that the three-month delay for the game extends beyond merely refining the experience and addressing remaining bugs. Contrary to Ubisoft’s announcement, there is a palpable sense of panic within the company. The failure of “Star Wars Outlaws” (with insufficient sales for an AAA title) combined with increasing backlash against “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” has prompted Ubisoft to urgently address certain historical aspects that have been criticized by Japanese audiences for nearly six months.
If Yasuke remains in the adventure, his story will be reassessed, especially regarding how he is portrayed. It is uncertain whether his controversial status as a samurai will be addressed in the game. According to Henderson, historical experts joined the game production late, which explains some inaccuracies in historical symbols found in Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailers and artworks. Notably, a few months ago, the Sekigahara Teppo-tai association contacted Ubisoft regarding unauthorized use of their feudal banner. This banner appears in numerous official game illustrations and will be featured in the artbook, already printed in hundreds of thousands of copies… The association demands that Ubisoft remove this banner, threatening sanctions, which raises doubts about the developers’ historical accuracy.
In response to this new wave of anger and the intervention of politicians in Japan, Ubisoft had to react and explain these inaccuracies. In a lengthy message primarily addressed to the Japanese community, Ubisoft apologized for elements that could be perceived as disrespectful or clumsy. However, Ubisoft also emphasized that Assassin’s Creed Shadows remains primarily a work of fiction, albeit inspired by history, and ultimately a product of its creators’ imagination.
Fundamentally, these issues should have been identified internally before the game’s reveal, given Ubisoft’s rigorous resource approval process. Tom Henderson’s investigation highlights several communication challenges between teams and instances where shortcuts were taken in the resource approval process to meet release deadlines. Regarding the game’s polishing and bug issues, it is currently not at the stage it should be for its release. The journalist was informed privately that there have been adjustments to gameplay mechanics taking time to integrate. Issues identified during testing but left unaddressed prior to release illustrate a return to the problematic “ship first, fix later” philosophy prevalent in the video game industry and adopted by some publishers, particularly in France… (I will not name names).
The release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now expected on February 14, 2025, according to Tom Henderson. Despite pre-orders potentially being lower than those for Valhalla, they remain strong.
