According to GamesRadar+, at the recent Paris Games Week 2025, Ubisoft presented a video (not yet publicly released) that outlines how the company dealt with the backlash around Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.
The video opens with the narration:
“When a legendary series unveils its most-anticipated title, what happens if it becomes a game people love to hate? What if the conversation shifts from gameplay toward ideology? What if every word you say just pours more fuel on the fire?”
It then continues:
“In September 2024, we found ourselves backed into a corner. And at that moment, we realised — to get out, we must stop focusing on those who hate us, and instead ignite the passion of our allies. So we stopped trying to win the argument, and we leaned back on the force that has carried us for 18 years: the Assassin’s Creed brand.”
To that end, Ubisoft decided to delay the game’s launch “so we could polish, optimise, and meet the high standards fans expect”, while also releasing a significant volume of gameplay demos and promo content focused on stealth, the Leap of Faith, and the series’ narrative roots, specifically targeted at their core player base.
The video continues:
“The fans came back, the discussion began to shift, and everyone involved in making it, playing it, and loving it rediscovered their pride. With allies at our side once again, we regained confidence — stood tall, dared to take risks, dared to speak even in the face of fierce critics.”
In subsequent remarks, Ubisoft’s CEO and co-founder, Yves Guillemot said:
“At first, we were surprised at the scale of the attacks. We soon realised this was a fight — a fight with our fans — to prove that what we make is truly a video game, not just a vehicle for a message.”
He argued that fans had been “caught between ‘I want to play the game, I care about in-game self-expression’ and ‘the game itself carries cultural meaning’.” He added:
“Our mission is to make sure fans discover and defend what they expect in the game. That really helped cut through the argument, which was nothing more than a false argument.”
A Ubisoft spokesperson added that the video may be shown internally in the company in the future.
The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.
