Ubisoft Apologizes to Japanese Re-Enactment Group

Highlights

Ubisoft apologized to Sekigahara Teppo-tai reenactment group for using their banner in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Fans were excited for a medieval Japan entry in Assassin’s Creed, blending Japanese design with gameplay.
The troupe accepted Ubisoft’s apology, viewing the incident as a way to spread awareness of their name.

Ubisoft apologized to the Sekigahara Teppo-tai infantryman reenactment group after unknowingly using the organization’s banner in the development of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The next mainline entry into the long-running Assassin’s Creed series is already no stranger to controversy. However, Ubisoft has now also drawn criticism due to one of the flags used in the game’s concept art and its potential infringement on a local troupe’s design.

Since the series debuted, fans of Assassin’s Creed have been requesting a mainline entry to the series set sometime during medieval Japan. To many players, it looked like a recipe for success. Previous video games showcased what a creative team could do when asked to blend Japanese designs with engaging gameplay. Furthermore, Japan was already widely known as the country of origin of the stealthy and covert shinobi archetype, which could easily tie into the greater storyline of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Because of these factors, fans believed medieval Japan provided the perfect opportunity to create a truly memorable piece of historical fiction with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

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Unfortunately, Ubisoft’s attempts to capture the authenticity of the Sengoku Jidai period led to some issues when users noticed one of the flags depicted in two pieces of concept art of Assassin’s Creed Shadows bore an uncanny resemblance to a completely separate group’s official banner. Now, the developer has sent a formal apology to the Sekigahara Teppo-tai infantryman reenactment group for its unintentional use of the organization’s flag. Ubisoft confirmed it had removed the banner from its website and other digital media. The developer also assured the asset would no longer be used during development, though it admitted some illustrations in the printed version of the art book packaged with Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Collector’s Edition will retain the flag.

Ubisoft Formally Apologizes To Sekigahara Teppo-Tai Infantryman Reenactment Group

The Sekigaraha Teppo-tai infantryman reenactment group reportedly received and accepted Ubisoft’s apology. Twitter user @matchlock_kage, who is a member of the troupe, additionally confirmed the developer had contacted the group to formally apologize. The member was relieved Ubisoft admitted it had made a mistake while recreating the time period for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. They also retained an optimistic perspective regarding the accidental infringement, stating that while the circumstances were not ideal, the incident did at least succeed in spreading the troupe’s name.

With only a few short months before Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ impending release, it’s understandable that Ubisoft would want to nip any potential scandals in the bud. Especially since Assassin’s Creed Shadows is already facing criticism from online users because of one of the game’s protagonists, Yasuke, whom some argued should not have been a central character.