Highlights

  • Capcom game designer Yoshiki Okamoto supports Assassin's Creed Shadows amid backlash.
  • Okamoto urges fans to separate game events from reality, calling it "fantasy, not reality."
  • The $280 collector's edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows sold out in major regions almost immediately.

Longtime Capcom game designer Yoshiki Okamoto has expressed support for Assassin's Creed Shadows amid extensive backlash for the upcoming open-world title. Developer Ubisoft Quebec's decision to feature African samurai Yasuke and female Japanese shinobi Naoe as Assassin's Creed Shadows' protagonists incited an ongoing flurry of criticism from fans, with some claiming the choice is disrespectful to Japanese history.

Although prior Assassin's Creed titles haven't strictly adhered to historical events, concerns about Yasuke actually being a real-life samurai were raised for Assassin's Creed Shadows. Many, including Twitter owner Elon Musk, believed that the decision was made to appease DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) quotas for Ubisoft, but this notion has since been discredited. Ubisoft Quebec confirmed that Yasuke's role as a protagonist was simply a consequence of historical research about feudal Japan.

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However, the clarification still hasn't stopped the complaints about Assassin's Creed Shadows, and now, one of Capcom's most renowned game designers has weighed in on the matter. Yoshiki Okamoto, who has been in the credits for iconic franchises like Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda, and more, believes that the online backlash against Assassin's Creed Shadows is unwarranted in a new vlog translated by Automaton. "I’m aware that this game is currently facing all kinds of backlash, but I’d like to talk about things from a more positive perspective. It’s a game, it’s fantasy, not reality," said Okamoto.

Capcom Veteran Reminds Assassin's Creed Shadows Skeptics That "It's Fantasy"

Okamoto requested that players separate the events of Assassin's Creed Shadows from reality and enjoy the game for what it is, stating that "Even if Oda Nobunaga’s family crest is upside down, that’s just the Oda Nobunaga in the game. It does not impact how entertaining the game is." The Capcom veteran's advice is quite sound considering some fans have taken the game's creative choices too seriously, to the point where even Ubisoft's CEO recently addressed the negative discourse surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows.

It’s a game, it’s fantasy, not reality.

Moreover, the approval of a seasoned Japanese game designer bodes well for Assassin's Creed Shadows, while also contradicting the claims of Japanese natives feeling offended at the inclusion of an African samurai. Elsewhere, general interest in the game also appears to be high as the $280 collector's edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows sold out in major regions almost immediately. At the time of writing, it's difficult to ascertain whether the backlash could somewhat hurt the game's commercial reception, but so far, Assassin's Creed Shadows is shaping up fairly well ahead of its November 12 launch.