Business Video game maker Ubisoft in chaos after anti-DEI backlash - The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game maker delayed its biggest launch of the year, reduced forecasts, and is facing calls to sell, in what is being called an ‘incel victory.’

[Source Photos: Ubisoft and Pixabay]

On September 24, Ubisoft abruptly canceled its appearance at the Tokyo Game Show and postponed all press previews of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Wednesday, we learned why. Anti-DEI backlash has sent the company spinning.

The Paris-based video game publisher pushed the release of its biggest game of the year from November 12 to February 14 of next year—and warned investors that net bookings would no longer exceed the 2.3 billion euros of last year, but come in at a disappointing 1.95 billion euros. That sent shares lower Thursday, continuing a rough year for the company (UBI.PA). Year to date, shares are down 57%, which has stirred up some activist investors to call for a sale.

The bookings’ shortfall was, technically, due to the delay and disappointing sales of Star Wars: Outlaws. However, the underlying reason for both of those, at least in part, is the far-right opposition to diversity and inclusion.

Outlaws, which has a female lead character, received mostly solid reviews from professional critics; but many players gave it a zero rating out of 10 on Metacritic, citing “forced DEI narratives” and claiming the developers “spent more time on the woke culture than on the story and gameplay.” Some players were also unhappy with the optional season pass model that tacked an additional $40 onto the game’s price for extra missions. (The season pass/downloadable content model has been a popular one in the industry for many publishers, and is used in Fortnite and Dark Souls 3.)

That review bombing, driven by anti-DEI backlash, seemingly worked—and set off a chain of events that led to Wednesday’s announcement.

“We believe Star Wars Outlaws was impacted by a coordinated effort that sought to troll Ubisoft games specifically and Star Wars content in general,” wrote Michael Pachter of Wedbush in an analyst’s note. “This is a case of a rare incel victory that led to Ubisoft having to take down its numbers.”

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot addressed the controversy directly in announcing the revised guidance.

“Let me address some of the polarized comments around Ubisoft lately,” he wrote. “I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment-first company, creating games for the broadest possible audience, and our goal is not to push any specific agenda. We remain committed to creating games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”

That’s unlikely to quiet far-right critics. In fact, the delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was already under fire by that group for having a female ninja and a Black samurai as lead characters in a game set in feudal Japan, could embolden detractors. GamerGate-friendly forums on Reddit are already celebrating the announcement and taking a victory lap, with a few racist comments thrown in.

But gameplay mechanics weren’t what caused the prerelease backlash of Shadows. As far back as July, the development team has found itself on the defensive for its choice to include a Black protagonist in the game. (That character, Yasuke, is based on an actual Black samurai from the 16th century.)

“While we strive for authenticity in everything that we do, Assassin’s Creed games are works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures,” the development team wrote in July. “From its inception, the series has taken creative license and incorporated fantasy elements to craft engaging and immersive experiences. The representation of Yasuke in our game is an illustration of this. His unique and mysterious life made him an ideal candidate to tell an Assassin’s Creed story with the setting of feudal Japan as a backdrop.”

Despite the anti-DEI backlash, Ubisoft doesn’t seem like it’s making radical changes to the next Assassin’s Creed. The company, in its announcement Wednesday, vowed to “[fulfill] the promise of our dual-protagonist adventure, with Naoe and Yasuke bringing two very different gameplay styles.” To boost sales, the company said it would give anyone who preorders the game the first expansion for free.

Pachter said he still expects the game to sell more than 7 million copies, adding “this game has the potential to be one of Ubisoft’s bestsellers ever.”

That might not be enough for some investors. Reuters, on Thursday, reported an activist investor, pushing for the sale of Ubisoft to a third-party or private equity investors, claimed to have the support of 10% of the company’s shareholders.

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[General Emílio Médici]

They won't remove Yasuke, they committed too hard. They are probably desperately fixing the fact that most of the architecture looks Chinese instead of Sengoku Japanese and trying to scrub things that weren't shown in trailers which would make the DEI even more blatant.

 

[CharlesBarkley]

I would legit pay $80 for a game from Ubisoft if you played an assassins creed game set in Africa and you play as a white man who is a master witch doctor.

 

[The Hardest R]

Considering how close it is to general release 3 months in game development time isn't all that much but if they are desperate they could maybe try to take Yasuke, texture him up as a Japanese man, do all new voice lines and then replace him. This game seems like more of a gamble for Ubisoft then anything else so they could make that risk even though considering the most recent statements the developer has made it wouldn't be surprising if they stay the course their on and suffer the consequences.

I guess I was envisioning them having to redo some of the more racebaiting scenarios in the game. I think they’re sticking with Yasuke but I’m sure there’s quite a bit of the game dedicated to muh racism and muh soggy knees. That shit will have to be toned down or cut out entirely.

 

[The Last Stand]

Reminds me, I should delete XDefiant to make room for better games.

 

[Drag-on Knight 91873]

Shit has to make sense, period. No way in hell were there female ninjas and black samurai in feudal Japan. Just rings the bullshit alarm. Ubisoft is just one more company that fucked itself in the ass with this DEI bullshit. No fucks given here at all.

Hilariously, they fucked up twice with Outlaws too. From what I've seen of the game, it's a half-baked GTA clone ordered by corporate executives whom don't have an idea of what a good game is and also had to fill a DEI checkbox.

Yasuke is an interesting factoid of history, and I personally wouldn't mind a game playing as him, but if you're aiming for relative historicity making him a super badass samurai probably isn't going to work out. A super-stylized version of Yasuke where he's a knockoff of Afro Samurai would probably do better. Hell, they could probably get away with making up more historical events if they went that direction.
On that note: ha-ha! Fuck you Ubisoft!

Afro Samurai was always more on the fantasy end of the genre. If you have to use a Black slave as a Japanese assassin at all--which is a bad idea anyways--he should be just that; a slave who is given orders to surveil and assassinate. That means he can't use any martial weapon like sword and spears and can't ever wear armor. Better to have used a beautiful Japanese woman if they have to check DEI boxes, but looking at Outlaws, they aren't capable of doing that either.

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

That’s unlikely to quiet far-right critics.

Imagine thinking people hate ubislop niggerworship game because of politics.

 

[Tablet County]

Afro Samurai was always more on the fantasy end of the genre. If you have to use a Black slave as a Japanese assassin at all--which is a bad idea anyways--he should be just that; a slave who is given orders to surveil and assassinate. That means he can't use any martial weapon like sword and spears and can't ever wear armor. Better to have used a beautiful Japanese woman if they have to check DEI boxes, but looking at Outlaws, they aren't capable of doing that either.

To be fair, from my recollection the historical Yasuke was allowed to carry a sword, albeit probably a shortsword.

 

[>tfw no Asian gf]

When was the last time that Ubisoft released a game that wasn't complete and utter dogshit?

Even if you ignore all the DEI shit, almost all of their new games feel repetitive and boring after a few hours.

 

[Drag-on Knight 91873]

To be fair, from my recollection the historical Yasuke was allowed to carry a sword, albeit probably a shortsword.

Doubtful. Letting slaves and peasants have weapons is sus in any place that isn't a battlefield. If he was allowed to carry a weapon, it's like a caddie carrying something for a golfer, not for him to actually use himself.

 

[God of Nothing]

Black samurai, nope but female ninja? That one is easy enough to make sense. A woman whose job is sneakily kill people and dress to hide her features? Perfectly plausible. She would be an underdog who needs stay ahead of her enemies rather meet them head on and her ultimate goal is to find a man or rather men capable of and willing to protecting her. You know stuff that actual successful criminal women have done.

Nope.
The only source for kunoichi (literally meaning woman at the time) was a ninja hiring prostitutes or just using women in general as a distraction.
she can be a criminal, yes
ninja, no

 

[stupid frog]

On September 24, Ubisoft abruptly canceled its appearance at the Tokyo Game Show and postponed all press previews of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Wednesday, we learned why. Anti-DEI backlash has sent the company spinning.

Sure, it's only anti DEI. Not the fact the Japanese hate you and feel robbed of "their game", and also their actual history.

 

[Tablet County]

I would legit pay $80 for a game from Ubisoft if you played an assassins creed game set in Africa and you play as a white man who is a master witch doctor.

I wouldn't. Not because of historical accuracy or anything, but because it's an AC game that isn't Black Flag so it's gonna suck.

 

[Agares]

Ubisoft has been on a downward spiral for the past decade. The DEI stuff was just another nail in the coffin. They already fucked up hard with their greed, unfinished games on launch and shitty uPlay launcher that they forced PC players to install.

 

[X Prime]

What’s the basis for predicting this? I know Pachter is a joke but is this nigger still subscribing to the idea that adding in niggers and women results in some sales multiplier?

Yes, but he has a shot of being right simply due to the fact that the global "gamer" segment increases in size every year because the hobby was not sufficiently gatekept.

 

[Would]

Ubisoft, get comfortable not being around.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

Wednesday, we learned why. Anti-DEI backlash has sent the company spinning.

Maybe YOU only learnt it then; WE already knew why.

disappointing sales of Star Wars: Outlaws. However, the underlying reason for both of those, at least in part, is the far-right opposition to diversity and inclusion.

Huh. I hadn't realised we had that much power. Are you sure it isn't your constant alienation of the majority of gamers?

“I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment-first company, creating games for the broadest possible audience

No. You are either an "entertainment company first" OR you are "creating games for the broadest possible audience". You cannot do both.

and our goal is not to push any specific agenda

Lie.

considering the most recent statements the developer has made it wouldn't be surprising if they stay the course their on and suffer the consequences

This is what will happen. The Second Law of SJW's applies here: SJW's Always Double Down.

 

[Hightension]

So they delayed the release till February 14? Well, so now investors won’t ask too harsh questions I see.
Especially since it’s nogga month in February you finna be raicis you white devils for criticizing it.

At least the guys can play it on Valentine’s Day and don’t have to take out their wives since their wives boyfriend take care of her. Everybody wins.
Fuck the frogs.

 

[I'm Retarded?]

this article is so nauseatingly shit-headed it's making me MATI. of course the tone-deaf faggots who allowed their cash cow to be ruined by justice warriors refuse to take responsibility for their own retardation when it backfires. I hope this is the stroke that finally gets Ubisoft taken over by their Chinese shareholders and turned into a fucking phone game company, and all their current devs and managers thrown out on the streets with radioactive resumes. it won't change anything, DEI will still be around until the pendulum swings against it hard enough, Ubisoft will still be a gorillion dollar company that publishes terrible games, but I want to lick the tears off of Yves Guillemot's face

 

[Big Brown Schlub]

SUFFAH UBISOFT! SUFFAH!

Also REMINDER that the "historical black Samurai" Yasuke was NEVER EVER a samurai. Like 90% of his lore was just made up from whole cloth by Thomas Lockley, a (((historian))) who literally torpedoed his career over this once some Japanese historians started becoming a bit sus and found out that most of his sources just plain don't exist!

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Nope.
The only source for kunoichi (literally meaning woman at the time) was a ninja hiring prostitutes or just using women in general as a distraction.
she can be a criminal, yes
ninja, no

At least they have the slightest scant evidence of existing as 0-2 individuals (based on my extensive study of Wikipedia), and have been embraced by Japan, unlike the Afro Samurai.