YouTuber Smash JT „Gets Got” By Fake Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Leak

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YouTube personality Smash JT appears to have been tricked by a deliberately fabricated rumor regarding Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. The video that sparked the confusion was uploaded approximately 21 hours prior to this article, but the supposed original source, McDizzle Gaming, has since admitted they are another content creator. In a recent social media post, McDizzle claims they emailed Smash JT pretending to be a Ubisoft programmer with information about a potential delay for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

YouTuber Smash JT “gets got” by a false insider feeding made up leak on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows

According to reports, it was suggested that “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows” might be delayed again until May. However, fans of the Ubisoft-published series can breathe a sigh of relief as this rumor has been debunked. McDizzle, who posted about this matter on social media, stated that they did so to expose unethical reporting in gaming news. They mentioned that “Smash” could have asked for proof, contacted them through other platforms, or reached out to other sources, but didn’t do any of these things.” A screenshot of the only communication was included with the post.

If the details in the email were accurate, it appears that Smash JT acted imprudently by publishing the video. A professional journalist would have had numerous factors to ponder before disseminating such a story. Beyond adhering to ethical principles like verifying information from other sources, one should also think about the potential consequences for the leaker, the game, and themselves. As per McDizzle’s email, Smash JT posted the video on the very same day he received the “leak.” This suggests that there might not have been enough time to weigh the potential implications of making this news public.

If the person who leaked the information was indeed an Ubisoft employee, they could potentially face legal consequences for breaching a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and might even jeopardize their career in the gaming industry. Moreover, if the source of the “leak” remained unidentified, this alleged news could have caused significant trouble for Ubisoft and the dedicated developers working on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, as mentioned by Smash JT. In a video he titled as an “exclusive,” Smash JT claimed to be the first to obtain this information. Having at least a week before Ubisoft was expected to make an official announcement, Smash JT had ample time to verify the story with other industry sources, weigh the ethical implications of sharing the news, and at the very least substantiate the claim. However, he chose not to. Instead, he swiftly posted about it, seeking to profit from the story and further fuel negative sentiment towards this game.

Smash JT has recently attached a highlighted comment as well as revised the title of the initial video, instructing viewers to check out that pinned comment. He’s even posted another video entitled “I got got.” However, it seems that Smash isn’t expressing any remorse, instead he opens the video by stating: “I’m not claiming perfection and never will be… sometimes there are individuals in the community who try to belittle others, especially those who are thriving and outshining them.” Rather than admitting fault, Smash attributes this “prank” to envy. He continues to refer to the action as “unusual” and “out of this world.

Smash asserts that McDrizzle went “more than expected” by sending an email with a plausible message. As Smash explains: “the email arrives, everything aligns with the rumors I’ve been picking up and this person is essentially validating those rumors“. However, it is a significant misinterpretation of the events. Smash has indeed heard about the issues at Ubisoft, and it would be reasonable if they decided to delay the game again. But “learning of another delay and it seeming logical is not confirming the story“. Anyone can write an email and share information that matches what one wants to hear, but that doesn’t make it appropriate to present it as news.

In the final part of the “I got got” video, Smash mentions that as a consequence, he’s expecting an influx of troll emails. This increased workload means he’ll need to be more rigorous in filtering his sources. Essentially, he laments that this situation will strain the trust he had built with his community, making him less trusting, not just towards external sources, but also towards his own community. In other words, he is becoming less confident in the people within his community.

Smash ultimately acknowledges he’ll strive for improvement in the future, but refuses to apologize for questionable journalism practices. He even argues that this doesn’t prove any wrongdoing. Smash offers excuses, claiming he was particularly busy today and had to release the video before Ubisoft made their announcement next week. However, being occupied does not justify sharing unverified news content. If one lacks time to prevent being tricked or ensure accurate information, then it’s better not to publish a video at all. That’s always an alternative.

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2025-02-16 01:02