Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot was recently confronted by a shareholder in one of the company’s financial meetings, who asked whetherAssassin’s Creed Shadowswas “woke or not woke.”Assassin’s Creed Shadowswas released earlier this year, and Yasuke’s real-life status and in-game depiction as a black, African samurai were one of its most controversial aspects. However, it’s still somewhat unusual for the topic to be brought up during an investor’s meeting.
Set in Feudal Japan during the end of the Sengoku period,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsfollows the story of dual protagonists, the stealthy ninja Naoe and the samurai Yasuke. According to Ubisoft,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswas a huge hit, marking the franchise’s second-best launch in sales, only trailing behindValhalla.
DespiteAssassin’s Creed Shadows’ success, the game became a topic during a recent shareholders’ meeting held by Ubisoft (spotted byGame File). During the meeting, one shareholder, who described themselves as a recent investor but a longtime player, cited thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowwas accused of “being woke.” According to them, using an African samurai as the main character in a game set in 16th-century Japan, and allowing this hero to have a romance with a transgender character was a “bold choice.” Then, the investor asked Guillemot to explain if the game was “woke or not woke,” citing “Ubisoft’s deteriorated reputation,” and asking whether Guillemot would backtrack on the “leftist political agenda.”
Ubisoft CEO Confronted On Whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is ‘Woke’ During Financial Meeting
Guillemot defendedAssassin’s Creed Shadows, saying that the game’s goal was solely to “showcase characters with heroic journeys.” The CEO also explained that Yasuke was someone who really existed, so the team decided to tell the story about the character as one of the heroes of the game.
The backlash against Yasuke inAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis far from the only controversy Ubisoft has found itself in recently, though. Earlier this month, for example,Ubisoft changed its EULA, requiring users to destroy or delete all copies of a game once it is taken offline. The change was understood by multiple gamers as a backlash against the Stop Killing Games initiative and was criticized on social media.
While Ubisoft is developing other games, the developer is not finished withAssassin’s Creed Shadowsjust yet. It’s already known that the game will get the “Claws of Awaji” DLC soon. Earlier this year, rumors pointed toAssassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awajibeing released between September and October 2025, but the DLC still does not have an official release date. The DLC is said to feature a new area, enemies, and new abilities for Yasuke and Naoe, as well as more story-focused content.
