About

Assassin's Creed: Shadows is the name of the upcoming Assassin's Creed game set in Japan. The game, which takes place during the Sengoku period in Japan, stirred controversy online for continuing the conversation surrounding Yasuke, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga's in 1581.

History

On May 13th, 2024, the official @AssassinsCreed^[1] X account posted a teaser image of a giant hourglass with sand counting down, stating that on May 15th, 2024 the official trailer for the game would be released (shown below). With the video shown, fans were already starting to speculate as to what would be shown in the trailer, and what it could possibly mean for the story, and the franchise as a whole, following Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

Later that same day, leaks from the game started to appear on social media, hinting at the player character being Yasuke, a prominent figure in Western interpretations of the Sengoku period of Japan. On May 14th, 2024, the YouTuber @EndymionYT^[2] posted about the leaks, showing Yasuke as a main character and a female ninja named Naoe as the other playable character, with them gaining over 3,200 likes for their interpretation of the leak (shown below).

Online Presence

After the leaks had started to get around, the conversation relating to the game immediately became about Yasuke and his place within history. Yasuke, a historical figure who was an African retainer and sword-bearer within Oda Nobunaga's group, has seen significant presence within Western depictions of Japan that take place during that time period, with a Netflix show, several movies, and games made specifically about him.

Online, arguments about Yasuke and his relevance in media in relation to his historical context, with many claiming he wasn't a samurai and his feats are overexaggerated for Western media, were re-ignited, with the X user @Khaliltooshort^[3] posting his thoughts and the historical context for Yasuke on May 14th, 2024 (shown below).

On May 15th, 2024, the official GameSpot YouTube^[4] channel uploaded the cinematic trailer for the game. The trailer, showing the bond between Yasuke and Naoe as they fight through different scenarios under the banner of Oda Nobunaga, quickly received praise online for the graphics and design of the armor (shown below).

Japan's Prime Minister's Response To Shrine Vandalism

On March 18th, 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba discussed concerns from Japanese officials over the game: "I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life," said Hiroyuki Kada, a member of the House of Councillors of Japan.^[5]

On March 19th, 2025, YouTuber^[6] Asmongold reacted to Ishiba's comments about the game, which amassed over 1.5 million views and 50,000 likes in three days.

Related Memes

Gay Black Samurai Debate

AC Shadows Gay Black Samurai Debate, also known as Assassin's Creed: Shadows LGBTQ+ Protagonists Debate, refers to backlash and discourse targeted at Yasuke, one of the protagonists in the 2025 Assassin's Creed: Shadows (AC Shadows) video game by Ubisoft who is a Black samurai that can explore same-sex relationships with both men and non-binary characters. Ubisoft developers had previously hinted in May 2024 that Naoe and Yasuke could be played as LGBTQ+ characters. However, after the game's official release in March 2025, the protagonist's trait was labeled "historically inaccurate," as Yasuke is based on the real story of the only African and first non-Japanese samuraI, especially regarding his sexuality, which received backlash on Twitter / X, Reddit and YouTube, as some gamers called it a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) character, deeming him too "woke" by conservative players.

Yasuke Non-Binary Love Interest Controversy

Assassin's Creed Shadows Non-Binary Love Interest Controversy, also known as Yasuke's Non-Binary Love Interest, refers to backlash and discourse targeted at Ibuki, a character in the 2025 Assassin's Creed: Shadows (AC Shadows) video game by Ubisoft who identifies as non-binary, a person who feels their gender cannot be defined within the margins of the gender binary (he/she). Comments and discussions about the implementation of the LGBTQ+ character as Yasuke's love interest was popularized as soon as the game was released in mid-March 2025 across YouTube, Twitter / X, and Reddit, with some calling the game "woke" while others defended it amid the backlash.

Search Interest

External References