Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s Yasuke trap-inspired theme slammed as “racist”

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been proven to be a controversial entry into the franchise and now some are calling its in-game music “racist.”

Ubisoft showcased some of Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s gameplay during its Ubisoft Forward event on June 10, 2024. The extended sneak peek at the game showed how players will get to choose to play as the title’s dual protagonists, and some first looks at the gameplay.

However, some gamers have latched onto a background element of the showcase on social media and are coming at the game for supposed “racist” music.

“Japanese music run through a rap filter. This is so hilariously racist,” one Twitter/ X user stated.

“Ain’t no way Ubisoft took Japanese music & turned it rap themed cause you play Yasuke a black samurai,” another user said.

The music in question appears during combat sections with one of the game’s protagonists, Yasuke. Its arrangement sounds like a traditional Japanese instrument, the Shamisen, played with trap high hats and beats imposed over it.

“Apart from this looking bad, why did they choose that music?” Another social media user asked. “Associating hip-hop beats with a 16th-century African has to be one of the most hilariously stupid anachronisms I’ve ever seen. And yeah, I know it’s fiction. It’s still dumb.”

The original post that fans have used to point out the confusing elements of the in-game music was intended to highlight how the new Assassin’s Creed entry’s combat seemed to be inspired by Ghost of Tsushima.

Now, the post has grown a life of its own and has quickly spread around social media.

Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s first gameplay trailer dropped on June 9, 2024, during the Xbox Games Showcase and left fans optimistic about the new Ubisoft title.

But now, that warm reception has been overshadowed by this music controversy on social media.