At this point, there’s no reason to purchase, let alone play a modern Ubisoft product.
The company has been egregiously pushing the falsification of a supposed historical figure as a real-life samurai, based on the efforts of a Western author who fabricated Wikipedia entries. This effectively desecrates Japanese culture and history to bolster Ubisoft’s ESG standing.
Furthermore, Ubisoft has been swindling unsuspecting patrons at this year’s Japan Expo, the largest Japanese-themed trade convention outside Japan. They did this by purchasing cheap Asian knickknacks and a replica sword from One Piece to pass off as an “immersive experience” of Japanese culture for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
This is particularly dastardly considering their past behavior, such as suggesting consumers should “get used to the idea” that they don’t own their games. Ubisoft has shuttered the servers of The Crew, removed the game from people’s libraries, and removed access to paid DLC for various games. Given these actions, there is no reason to support this company.
Now, the latest trend for game corporations immersed in ESG/DEI global etiquette and looking to make a quick buck by re-releasing old games has reached Ubisoft. They have disgraced customers of Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition by inserting a “woke” disclaimer, warning players that the game contains problematic racial stereotyping.
This practice has become commonplace over the past few years. Companies like Capcom, Konami, and Crystal Dynamics have preyed upon fans by selling nostalgic games that are now deemed “offensive” and “problematic” by today’s audiences. Instead of releasing an unmodified version of a classic game, which could harm their ESG standing, they include a disclaimer to warn players about the game’s content, effectively apologizing for past “mistakes.”
This approach is clearly aimed at minimizing potential backlash while still capitalizing on fans’ nostalgia.
In Capcom’s release of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, an HD revision of the GBA spin-offs of the Mega Man franchise, the collection includes a sensitivity warning indicating that it may contain “insensitive cultural depictions.”
Capcom is one of many game development companies captivated by Western ESG finances, promoting diversity and inclusivity initiatives in their recent releases.
Konami did something similar with their disappointing release of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1, which featured a disclaimer warning players of “expressions and themes which may be considered outdated” simply because the games contained pin-up posters of attractive female models.
Crystal Dynamics also faced significant backlash when Aspyr’s release of Tomb Raider I–III Remastered, an HD re-release of the original Tomb Raider trilogy, included a notice at startup stating that the game contained offensive depictions of people and cultures that might be considered racist and prejudiced.
The notice declared that the content was “deeply harmful” and “inexcusable” and did not align with Crystal Dynamics’ views. However, rather than discarding these problematic games, Crystal Dynamics chose to resell them for a quick profit, but then again we all know how Crystal Dynamics really feels about Lara Croft what with a tabletop RPG that aims to rid the franchise from its “colonialist roots.”
Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is an updated version of the classic action-adventure game originally released in 2003. This edition celebrates two decades since its launch with enhanced graphics and improved gameplay mechanics.
The game follows Jade, a courageous investigative journalist, and her uncle Pey’j as they uncover a sinister conspiracy on the planet Hillys. Upon its initial release, the game received stellar praise for its engaging puzzles, exploration, and combat within a vibrant world filled with memorable characters and a compelling narrative. Fans have been clamoring for a sequel for years, and Ubisoft announced Beyond Good & Evil 2 back in 2008.
However, after a decade of silence, Ubisoft reannounced the sequel in 2017 during E3, and there has been no significant update on the game since then.
The sequel is effectively in limbo, stuck in developmental hell, and quite frankly, I’m glad this is the case. Ubisoft’s modernized activist developers have desecrated the iconic character design of Jade, turning her into a stereotypical Black woman with a massive afro hairstyle, a commonplace phenomenon when it comes to modern game development.
It’s certainly a good thing this abomination is in developmental hell, as it would be better for fans if the sequel never releases at all.
Much like other companies, Ubisoft is now jumping on the bandwagon of insincere apologies for “problematic” and “racist” content, reselling it to consumers for easy nostalgia money.
The 20th Anniversary Edition of Beyond Good & Evil was released on June 25th to little to no fanfare, or possibly the fact that this game like so many other remasters and re-releases is another downgraded rendition of a cult classic.
This lack of attention is likely due to Ubisoft’s minimal effort in marketing the game, as many fans were unaware of its release alongside the fact that Ubisoft have pissed of damn near 100,000 gamers in their efforts to colonize Japan’s most historic and coveted era by rewriting new history of a Black “samurai” in feudal Japan with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Upon booting up the game, you’ll be greeted with a disclaimer screen. It states that while Beyond Good & Evil has been brought to today’s platforms, its story and gameplay remain unchanged from its original 2003 release. As a result, some characters and references might contain offensive racial stereotypes.
Speaking of stereotypes, Capcom recently faced criticism for race-swapping a character in their upcoming Dead Rising remake, changing one of the game’s bosses from a stereotypical overweight Asian man to an average White guy, lacking the original’s distinctive charm in order to be inoffensive.
Ubisoft acknowledges the “negative impact” such offensive representation could have, likely affecting their ESG investment scoring if they released such a problematic game without addressing these issues. However, as long as Ubisoft issues an apology, it’s likely that Larry Fink will give them minimal consequences, these disclaimers serve this exact purpose.
An internal company email proclaims that diversity and inclusion are top priorities not just for Ubisoft but for Activision as well, with Ubisoft claiming that DEI is ingrained in their very DNA. Instead of erasing their “problematic” history, they seem to be shaming customers who continue to buy their products with a half-hearted apology. This trigger warning is their way of claiming the moral high ground while still selling the content.
Ubisoft did not specify which characters, references, or design elements they considered offensively stereotypical. However, logical deduction suggests that characters like Ming-Tzu, an oriental Chinese walrus merchant with a bucktooth smile, and Secundo, an AI with a heavy Spanish accent who pronounces the main character Jade’s name as “Yade,” are likely among those deemed problematic.
The character with a goatee and mustache is offensive and should be removed because it’s seen as stereotypically “Latinx.” This, despite the fact that actual Spanish people don’t seem to care if their culture is “appropriated” with ponchos, sombreros, and maracas, something Mexicans seem to enjoy.
Ubisoft shows no signs of changing their ways, with over 80,000 gamers boycotting Assassin’s Creed Shadows due to its racially prejudiced portrayal of Japan’s history and culture. The game promotes a narrative by Western author Thomas Lockley, misrepresenting Yasuke, a retainer to Oda Nobunaga, as a makeshift samurai warrior.
Assassin’s Creed, known for its authentic historical representation, now features a Black male protagonist and a female shinobi in a game set in Japan, abandoning historical accuracy for the sake of progressive messaging.
Despite their many missteps, Ubisoft won’t change their approach anytime soon. Like Square Enix, which removed gender definitions from the upcoming Dragon Quest III HD-2D, Ubisoft will continue pushing their agenda which is bound to harm their financial standing in the coming months as the video game industry as a whole is seemingly on its last legs.
The 20th Anniversary Edition of Beyond Good & Evil peaked at only 500 players on Steam at release. Though it may look more polished, it lacks the charm and style of the original, and includes a “woke” disclaimer apologizing for racial stereotypes. If you want to play the updated version, you might as well pirate it instead.
