Who could have predicted that a group of American activists posing as journalists would unite to slander an entire country as racist for daring to oppose their national history being twisted for culture war bullshit?
Just hours after we published our article on Ubisoft’s shares dropping significantly despite a relatively healthy quarterly financial report, Ubisoft issued an open statement addressing the historical revisionism of depicting Yasuke as a samurai.
In their financial results, Ubisoft was enthusiastic about announcing that pre-order sales for Assassin’s Creed Shadows were strong. However, they avoided providing specific numbers or comparing sales performance to previous installments during an investor call.
Ubisoft expressed satisfaction with the “positive reception” of their upcoming titles, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws, despite Assassin’s Creed Shadows being one of the most criticized games of the year. A petition from Japanese players to cancel the game had already garnered 97,000 signatures.
It is surprising that Ubisoft issued a formal statement that unsurprisingly amounts to a non-apology. The company described the portrayal of Yasuke as a samurai as “a matter of debate and discussion,” despite such claims lacking credibility as Ubisoft makes the claim that they strive for “historic authenticity” which is particularly ironic given that they recently showcased a replica sword from the popular series One Piece as Yasuke’s katana at Japan Expo.
Ubisoft emphasizes that Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures, which is accurate. However, Yasuke’s inclusion as a playable character is unprecedented in the franchise’s history, marking the first time players assume the role of a “historical figure,” a Black man in the context of feudal Japan.
Ubisoft’s DEI-focused creative direction was cancerous from the start, particularly given their claim of wanting a “non-Japanese eye” on their Samurai.
By using Yasuke, they obscure his historical relevance with fictional elements that distort Japanese history, as there is no evidence supporting the claim that Yasuke held the title of bushi.
The only historical basis for Yasuke being a samurai comes from a Western professor who wrote his own Wikipedia entries, citing unpublished papers as sources before publishing two books on Yasuke and his “samurai origins.”
Ubisoft was bound to face criticism regardless of whether their Black samurai protagonist was real or fictional. Instead of addressing this directly, they chose to hide behind a purported historical figure, furthering historical revisionism promoted by Thomas Lockley, who has since retreated from the public eye after being exposed.
Ubisoft essentially used Yasuke as a shield to push falsified narratives that rewrite history and deflect criticism as racist rhetoric. Gaming journalists were more than happy to defend Ubisoft’s actions, supporting this artificial revision of history.
Journalists seemed to ignore the cultural appropriation of Japan’s history with the Yasuke samurai angle, which was used to rewrite Japan’s history with minority-pandering culture war narratives.
However, they were quick to call out miHoYo, a Chinese developer, for allegedly “whitewashing” its characters in the supposed Latin American/African-inspired region of Natlan in Genshin Impact.
Genshin Impact faced criticism on social media for its Natlan region and the characters not being dark enough, despite the game being developed in China and primarily catering to Asian regions like Japan, China, and Korea, which have the highest player and spender volumes.
Angry Westerners on Twitter accused the game of cultural appropriation, demanding accurate representation from a Chinese game developer. Journalists joined the miHoYo boycott, accusing the company of racism.
But of course, Assassin’s Creed is deemed acceptable. Hades 2, which reimagines Greek gods as Black and queer characters, was also praised as a work of fiction.
However, when gamers worldwide, including those in Japan, pointed out the blatant inaccuracies of Yasuke as a samurai in a franchise that traditionally features fictional characters within historically accurate settings, questioning Yasuke’s background was labeled as racist by journalists.
These journalists relentlessly pushed the narrative that Yasuke was indeed a samurai, treating it as indisputable fact despite a lack of supporting evidence.
Gamers worldwide have been working to expose the elaborate lies propagated by Thomas Lockley, who authored two books on the subject in an overt attempt to rewrite history.
Yasuke has appeared in other games like the Nioh franchise and Samurai Warriors 5, which include fantastical elements like Shinigami and giant crabs.
These games don’t aim to portray Japan’s history with authenticity and are entirely fictional in nature. There was zero controversy about Yasuke in these contexts.
However, the backlash against Ubisoft’s portrayal of Yasuke as a samurai in a franchise known for its historical accuracy has been significant. If Ubisoft had named him something else and presented him as a completely fictional character, it would have still faced criticism, but the reaction would have been far less intense.
The issue lies in using Yasuke, a historical figure in a setting that prides itself on historical authenticity, making the portrayal seem insincere and subversive given that his portrayal goes against everything that historical records show.
Outlets proclaimed that Yasuke was or was known as a samurai, despite his minimal historical significance during one of Japan’s most documented periods. In reality, he served as a retainer to Oda Nobunaga, essentially acting as a glorified servant who carried his master’s sword.
By stating Yasuke was “KNOWN AS” a Black samurai subtly pushes the narrative on consumers, making the falsehood more acceptable and believable without directly lying.
Following Ubisoft’s supposed “apology,” which more or less refuted criticism over facts and established history as “a matter of discussion” whether or not Yasuke was a real samurai which did nothing to address what has quickly become a national issue for Japan.
A Japanese-produced music video mocking Ubisoft’s attempt to rewrite their national history highlights their sentiment. The video has reached 2 million views and garnered 75,000 likes compared to just 927 dislikes on YouTube.
Given that the apology was directed towards the land of the rising sun Ubisoft issued the same message on their Japanese Twitter account, which hilariously has received significantly more criticism and backlash from consumers compared to the one posted on their English-oriented accounts.
Game journalists quickly released hit pieces slandering Japan as “violently racist,” claiming that the negative reception of Yasuke’s lore and history was driven by racist Westerners imposing their beliefs on a Japanese audience that supposedly found the game a mockery of Japanese history.
Alyssa Mercante, a former sex worker slut turned activist for Kotaku, recently wrote an article titled “This Was Never About Anything Other Than Hate.”
Known for sparking controversy while simultaneously portraying herself as a victim of a hate-filled mob, Mercante previously mocked the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
In her piece, she targeted right-wingers and the anti-DEI gaming community for opposing Ubisoft’s effort to rewrite Japan’s history in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which features a Black samurai decapitating Japanese people.
The article faced predictable pushback from gamers and online commentators, including Forbes’ Erik Kain, who described Mercante’s writing as “bad faith.” He remarked on Mercante’s antagonistic and narcissistic need for attention, saying, “Truth is, she relishes this. And it’s far easier to say ‘it’s all just hate’ than to bother with cumbersome nuance.”
This prompted a series of responses from Alyssa, in which she attacked not only Erik’s writing skills but also launched into personal insults. Rather than engaging in a civil discussion or debating Erik’s claims, Alyssa resorted to direct attacks.
This is the same woman who, in her review of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, positioned herself as the victim of a hate campaign she had provoked by claiming that White people can’t experience racism, in an article defending her friends and cancerous allies at the ESG/DEI consultation company Sweet Baby Inc.
Despite Erik Kain seemingly acting like a competent and honest journalist, he committed the cardinal sin of criticizing the games media for provoking gamers with their inflammatory rage baiting articles.
Alyssa Mercante’s response, characterized by personal attacks, only further showcased her inability to engage in a reasoned debate.
Journalism is dead. Individuals like Alyssa Mercante are not journalists but activists pushing their own agendas. Despite their involvement in the video games industry, these individuals despise consumers and actively harm the industry by demanding it pander towards themselves rather than gamers.
They slander attractive women in gaming as sexist and demand that Japan embrace Ubisoft’s new direction for the Sengoku period in a game supposedly based on real events. For the first time, players can play as a historical figure that has been entirely fictionalized to push an agenda.
Dashiell Wood, a hardware writer for TechRadar, responded to Ubisoft’s non-apology by deflecting the issue of fictionalizing a Black “historical figure” as a samurai in feudal Japan. He suggested that Ubisoft was inadvertently legitimizing these “false claims” of historical accuracy for the benefit of “racists.”
Ash Parrish, an African-American writer for The Verge, also responded to Ubisoft’s “apology” by dismissing the historical inaccuracies and the cultural implications of subverting history as mere “artistic license.”
The notion of “artistic license” vanished the moment journalists united to push this fictionalized narrative as indisputable fact. Critics of Yasuke being portrayed as a samurai were demonized as inherently racist.
And let’s not forget that when Assassin’s Creed Shadows was announced, Yasuke’s Wikipedia entry became the focal point of an editing war, seemingly aimed at aligning the game’s “fictional narrative” with reality.
It’s peculiar that Ubisoft would feature a historical figure as a playable character for the first time in nearly two decades, using Yasuke as a shield to deflect criticism of their DEI agenda. This move not only gives undue power and credibility to Thomas Lockley but also undermines Japanese culture.
If Ubisoft had been more straightforward about their diversity and inclusivity agenda by featuring a fictional Black character similar to Adewale from Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, they would have still faced substantial criticism for including a token Black character set in 1500s Japan, but it wouldn’t have escalated to this extent.
All they had to fucking do was give them what they want. A JAPANESE protagonist.
Fiction and reality are distinct, and Ubisoft’s decision to blend fictional elements with a historical figure is both clever and disgusting. This approach is highly offensive, as it distorts history to push a particular narrative which was penned by a foreign author who citied himself as official sources for his delusions.
Had Ubisoft chosen to feature a Japanese protagonist and removed Naoe to meet their DEI criteria, it might have been received more favorably than the current backlash, which has led to nearly 100,000 signatures on a boycott petition and the exposure of Thomas Lockley’s historical revisionism, forcing him to delete his social media accounts.
Ash Parrish then further inflamed the situation with a Tweet that disparages Japan, labeling the entire nation and its society as “ultra-conservative right-wing assholes.”
It’s quite ironic for an American Black woman to accuse Japan of being violent racists for resisting the distortion of their history. Labeling Japanese society as “ultra-conservative right-wing assholes” seems prejudiced and racist in itself.
While it is deemed racist to object to historical revisions made to appease Westerners with a minority complex, Ash Parrish’s broad condemnation of an entire country as “violently racist” is somehow considered acceptable.
It’s not just Kotaku and other journalists who have jumped on the bandwagon; The Gamer, which previously stayed silent on the issue but was quick to criticize Genshin Impact for allegedly whitewashing Black characters, also expressed significant frustration with Ubisoft’s tepid “apology.”
By framing the question of Yasuke’s samurai status as merely a “matter of debate,” Ubisoft inadvertently empowers those they label as “evil violent White supremacist gamers” who oppose the artificial inclusion of Black characters (in Japanese history.)
Homosexuality and a focus on minority groups are often seen as major cultural exports from America.
Like many others, The Gamer’s article on Ubisoft’s “apology” echoes similar talking points, suggesting that the dislike for Yasuke stems from his race. This narrative overlooks the core issue: Ubisoft’s portrayal of Yasuke as something he historically was not, using this distortion to rewrite history and meet their diversity quotas for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
They argue that DEI is a conspiracy theory, dismissing concerns about Yasuke’s historical accuracy as a mere codeword. This perspective suggests that DEI is just a buzzword used by gamers who dislike the inclusion of poorly written, stereotypical Black characters with dreadlock fades in modern video games.
Such characters feel insincere and disrupt the natural creative process. A Black game developer has even criticized DEI initiatives for hindering his efforts to create attractive Black characters. According to this view, DEI and ESG efforts are more about meeting diversity and inclusion quotas rather than genuinely improving representation, with attractive characters of any race being considered a negative by figures like Larry Fink and ESG hedge fund investment.
That’s just how it is these days. Gamers didn’t complain or get offended when Black characters were featured in older games. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, for instance, had a cast dominated by Black characters and is still hailed as one of the greatest games of all time.
It was incredibly fun, and Carl Johnson wasn’t a stereotype; the game captivated audiences with its gameplay and narrative. Black characters from games like Left 4 Dead such as Louis and Coach are memorable even today, largely thanks to memes.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead took the entire world by storm with its narrative writing between Clementine and protagonist Lee Everett who was tragically killed off at the end of the game.
It’s quite odd how gamers never seemed to care whether a character was Black, White, or Asian, male or female in video games until around 2013-2014.
That’s when game journalists collectively began pushing the narrative that video games objectified women and were therefore sexist. They hailed female icons who had fucked and sucked their way to fame while vilifying gamers and “gamer culture” as nothing short of misogynistic pigs.
The same thing is happening today. Game journalists are defending their friends and allies at Sweet Baby Inc, a narrative consultation company directly responsible for some of the biggest financial failures in the video game industry in a very short amount of time.
They’ve put studios out of business with poor writing and an overemphasis on diversity, resulting in characters being race-swapped.
Gamers are labeled as racist when they protest or reject Black characters, even when these characters are artificially inserted into contexts like Japanese history.
Ubisoft previously altered the portrayal of Egyptians as dark-skinned in Assassin’s Creed Origins and introduced homosexual Vikings in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, further distorting historical and cultural accuracy but of course you’re not allowed to oppose it.
That’s what this all boils down to: rewriting history to facilitate culture war agendas, with any criticism being silenced under the guise of protecting Black people as perpetual victims and I’m fucking tired of it.
Journalists only care about cultural appropriation when there’s even a slight implication that Black culture is being misrepresented in fiction. However, when historical figures and established characters are changed from White/Asian to Black they remain silent.
Journalism is dead. These individuals are activists masquerading as PR agents for studios and publishers, uniting against consumers and using every buzzword to attack those who oppose historical revisionism or defy the agenda of corporate giants like Blackrock. They exploit African identity as a shield to push their propaganda and label dissenters as racist.
Considering how Ubisoft had to make a public statement shortly after claiming that sales for Assassin’s Creed Shadows were “great” and expressing appreciation for the “positive reception” during their financial report and investor call, it’s clear that the controversy surrounding the game will thankfully impact Ubisoft’s sales figures upon release.
Many hope to see “heterophobic,” anti-White, and anti-Asian figures amongst the game industry such as Alyssa Mercante lose their jobs and end up on the streets.
For over a decade, these individuals have antagonized consumers, labeling them as misogynistic and racist. I however would prefer to go a little more extreme, people like Alyssa deserve to face repercussions for the damage they’ve inflicted on the gaming community and the only way for them to repent for their actions is for them to take their own life by committing seppuku.
