„We had to stop focusing on those who hated us.” Ubisoft on its secret strategy to combat Assassin’s Creed Shadows hate

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At this year’s Paris Games Week, Ubisoft presented a video explaining how they responded to criticism of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

  1. In a video shown at the expo, Ubisoft’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, talked about how things went totally crazy online after the game was officially announced. The creators felt cornered because they just wanted to talk about the gameplay, but instead, they got dragged into endless ideological debates.
  2. A breakthrough in the company’s approach occurred in September 2024. That’s when the devs at Ubisoft realized that trying to talk to the biggest critics of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows about its iconic aspects was pointless, because anything they said just made those people even angrier.
  3. As a result, they decided to just ignore those people and focus on the fans of the series instead. With fans in mind, the creators decided to delay the game to polish it and regularly release extensive video materials discussing various aspects of the gameplay, as this was what most interested the dedicated fans of the brand.
  4. This approach proved effective. Fans of the series were actively discussing the new info on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, and the vibe around the game got a lot more positive.

As Yves Guillemot put it:

Things were tough in September 2024, and that’s when we realized a change in strategy was needed. Instead of trying to convince our critics, we decided to focus on supporting those who already liked us. We shifted away from arguing and instead relied on the strength of the Assassin’s Creed brand, which had served us well for 18 years.

At first, we were shocked by how strongly people were reacting. It soon became clear this was a struggle to prove we were a true video game, not just a platform for messages.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=DM@x9ghe7k

Released on March 20th for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows quickly became a hit, drawing in over 3 million players in its first week – including those playing through Ubisoft+. This makes it the second most successful launch in the entire Assassin’s Creed series.

Ubisoft isn’t eager to fight similar battles

Despite successfully overcoming these difficulties, the company isn’t eager to repeat the experience and avoid another such struggle.

Reports surfaced last month that Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin’s Creed game planned during the American Civil War and Reconstruction period. The game would have featured a former slave returning to the South to battle the Ku Klux Klan. Ubisoft’s leadership deemed the subject matter too sensitive and controversial. This decision followed concerns about the character Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and was also shaped by the current political environment in the United States.

  1. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Review: Great combat and stealth, where plot plays it too safe
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2025-11-06 18:03