Other than Assassin’s Creed Black Flag (pirate vibes, anyone?), I’ve never been a huge fan of the Assassin’s Creed series. But when I heard about a Japanese-themed Assassin’s Creed Shadows—ninjas! samurai!—I got hyped. It’s totally my alley. Then came the controversy storm over Yasuke, a Black historical figure who rolled with Oda Nobunaga in ancient Japan. Was he a samurai? A retainer? History’s fuzzy on that. Thing is, Shadows already had fan gripes—like that dual-protagonist mechanic—but Yasuke’s inclusion blindsided a lot of gamers. People, especially Japanese fans, were rooting for a homegrown male hero. Rumors flew about why Ubisoft zeroed in on him (George Floyd influence? DEI push?), but it’s all speculation. Still, the noise is loud enough to risk tanking this release—and Ubisoft can’t afford that hit right now.
I’m not deep into Assassin’s Creed to care about the social politics swirling around it. What I see? A missed shot at something epic. Imagine this: a cyberpunk dystopia where megacorps rule the streets. Enter Yasuke, a badass techno-samurai—honor-bound, high-tech, and combat-augmented to the teeth. The story practically writes itself! Option one: Yasuke’s framed by his boss’s enemies, disgraced, and goes full-on quest mode to clear his name and restore his honor. Option two: he’s a top-tier protector, so foes target his family to break him—unleashing a revenge-fueled rampage. These are the tales gamers devour—gritty, gripping, and perfect for late-night grind sessions.
I follow some Black gamers online, and they’re starving for a strong, cool hero like this. Recent releases? They’ve been stuck with stuff like Concord’s Bazz—a goofy, transgender Black female merc with running shoes—or Emari, an overweight tank character whose design screams anything but cool. Where’s the badassery? I asked an AI to whip up some characters, and dude, they’re fire—sleek, powerful, shelf-worthy. I’d snag those action figures from GameStop in a heartbeat. Pair that look with a killer backstory, and you’ve got iconic characters gamers crave. Bonus: mix it up with a female Yasuke—beautiful, fierce, Black, and unstoppable. Diversity done right, not forced.
Here’s the deal: people want fun and cool. No one’s here for activist devs sneaking personal politics into their heroes. Gamers want to be the badass—rock a character’s tee or flex an action figure on their desk. It’s not rocket science. Veer from “cool” to push your beliefs, and you shrink your audience fast. Maybe one day we’ll get that cyber-infused samurai Yasuke—high-tech, honorable, and proud. Maybe one day we’ll go back to cool. Peace out.
