Important takeaways
- Ubisoft has addressed what it calls “polarizing comments” surrounding its latest games like Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows.
- In the statement, Ubisoft explains that it remains an “entertainment-first company”, and that it is not trying to “push any specific agenda with its games”.
Ubisoft has received a lot of attention in recent months, and while they say all publicity is good publicity, it could probably do without some toxic conversations surrounding the publisher's biggest game.
Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows have both been surrounded by vitriol recently, the latter far more than the former. Most of the negative comments stem from the game's main characters, as both Kay Vess and the black samurai Yasuke have come under fire from a certain section of players for being a woman and a black man, respectively.
This negativity has now forced Ubisoft to make a statement in its latest financial statement and update (thanks GamesRadar), which came shortly after Assassin's Creed Shadows' delay. Ubisoft is addressing what it calls “polarizing comments” and claims it is “a premium entertainment company” and has not tried to “push a specific agenda” with its games.
“Let me address some of the polarized comments surrounding Ubisoft lately. I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment company that creates games for the widest possible audience, and our goal is not to push any specific agenda. We remain committed to create games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”
Ubisoft has repeatedly come out in defense of its titles, the first example being producer Marc-Alexis Côté criticizing Twitter owner Elon Musk for “feeding hate” with his comments about the game. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot later followed that up by speaking out against “acts of hate” against the developer in recent months.
These comments in particular feel far less abrasive than Ubisoft's other defenses of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and seem less like a condemnation of the hate on social media, and more like an appeal to those who may have been put off by its recent actions. We know Ubisoft is struggling, and it's a statement that feels like Ubisoft is trying to fight back at anyone and everyone it may have avoided in the past.
That's especially clear when you remember that Assassin's Creed Shadows will be the first game from Ubisoft to go directly to Steam, signaling a real change in its business strategy. It seems change is coming to Ubisoft, as indicated by the company's recently announced internal review, but we'll have to wait and see if it does anything to turn its recent fortunes around.
