Is Yasuke being removed from Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Rumor debunked

Is Yasuke, one of the two protagonists set to appear in Assasin’s Creed Shadows, being removed from the game altogether? Here is everything we know.

Assassin’s Creed has made a name for itself by creating expansive and detailed open-world adventures that take place throughout significant periods in time. 

Whether that be Ancient Egypt and Greece, the French Revolution, or even the Viking Age, the franchise has also inserted a great deal of historical context into each game.

After years of leaks and teases, the series is finally finally making its way to Feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. And while the upcoming title was originally slated for a November 12, 2024, release date, the game has since been delayed to February 14, 2025.

Developer Ubisoft confirmed the delay and revealed that they decided to “provide additional polish” to the game before it drops. 

However, this delay led to a frenzy of hearsay cropping up online regarding the game, the biggest of the bunch being that Yasuke, one of the two protagonists set to feature in Shadow’s, might be getting scrapped altogether.

As such, we’ve collated everything we know about this tittle-tattle and whether or not it has any merit or is one of the many gaming rumors that can simply be debunked.

Yasuke controversy and removal rumors explained 

Ubisoft

Yasuke’s inclusion in Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been very controversial.

Before delving into whether or not this rumor is true, let’s first explore how and why it has even come about. When it was announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows would include two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, the latter caught the attention of many gamers.

Namely, because Yasuke is a real-life figure, and while the franchise has always delved into historical tales and even included real-life people like Leonardo Da Vinci, they have never included such a person as a playable character.

On July 23, 2024, Ubisoft issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) to its “Japanese community” following concerns about the accuracy of its depiction of Japan and the inclusion of Yasuke as the game’s lead, given that his status as a Samurai is still largely debated.

In the post, Ubisoft wrote that while they are aware Yasuke being a Samurai is a “matter of debate and discussion,” he was an “ideal candidate” to work with Assassin’s Creed’s “creative license” in how it incorporates “fantasy elements” into the series.

Will Yasuke be axed from Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Ubisoft

Yasuke is one of two playable characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and that’s not changing.

On September 29, 2024, Tom Henderson, the founder of Insider Gaming and a notable informant on all things video games, responded to an X thread claiming Yasuke is getting removed from the game and replied, “It’s not true.”

After promising to provide “more context about the AC Shadows delay” in a follow-up post, Henderson penned an article completely debunking these claims.

In the article, Henderson straight up stated that Yasuke is “not going to be removed” but did add that he was told by sources that Ubisoft “has been actively addressing many of the historical and cultural concerns” that the devs were aware of even before the game’s official reveal.

“This includes changing some of Yasuke’s story and how he’s portrayed in the game, fixing architectural details, and ensuring that the game is historically grounded while fitting into the Assassin’s Creed universe,” added Henderson.

He then claimed that historical experts were brought onto the project much further along into the development process than usual and that “miscommunication between teams and cutting corners when it came to the approval process of assets” was a leading factor in why Yasuke’s portrayal in Shadows has gotten the development team into murky water.

Alongside concerns regarding the accuracy of Assassin’s Creed Shadow, the recent reveal that Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to the beloved 2020 title Ghost of Tsushima, will also be released in 2025. 

Given that Shadows and Ghost of Yotei occur during similar periods, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will now have its work cut out due to directly competing with the other title.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be released on February 14, 2024, and will be available on Xbox and PlayStation consoles and PC.