By Hafiz Rahat Usama 
When Elon Musk, the tech mogul turned online provocateur, called Assassin’s Creed Shadows “terrible” in a recent tweet, he likely expected his millions of followers to nod along. Instead, the developers of Ubisoft’s highly anticipated feudal Japan-set game fired back, sparking a fiery debate about creative freedom, historical representation, and the growing politicization of gaming culture. This clash isn’t just about Musk’s opinion—it’s a microcosm of the broader tensions roiling the entertainment industry.
Musk’s Critique: A Shot Across the Bow
Musk’s criticism, posted on X (formerly Twitter), took aim at Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ dual protagonists: Yasuke, a real-life Black samurai who served under a 16th-century Japanese warlord, and Naoe, a fictional female shinobi. Musk called the game “another woke disaster” and accused Ubisoft of prioritizing “DEI [diversity, equity, inclusion] checkboxes” over authenticity. His remarks quickly went viral, cheered by corners of the internet that view any inclusion of marginalized identities in media as “forced.”
Ubisoft, however, didn’t stay silent. In a rare public rebuke, Creative Director Jonathan Dumont responded: “History is diverse. Yasuke’s story is part of Japan’s history. We’re proud to explore it.” The studio doubled down, releasing a statement emphasizing its commitment to “historical rigor” and “nuanced storytelling.”
Yasuke’s Legacy: Separating Fact from Fandom
Musk’s critique hinges on the assumption that Yasuke’s inclusion is ahistorical—a claim dismantled by historians. Yasuke, an African man likely from Mozambique, arrived in Japan in 1579 as a servant to Jesuit missionaries. His imposing stature and foreign origins captivated Oda Nobunaga, the famed warlord, who made him a samurai—a rare honor. While details of Yasuke’s life are sparse, his existence is well-documented in Japanese and European records.
“To dismiss Yasuke as ‘woke fiction’ is to erase a fascinating, if obscure, thread of global history,” says Dr. Michael Thornton, a historian of feudal Japan. Ubisoft’s choice to spotlight him aligns with the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s long-standing mission to explore overlooked narratives, from Revolutionary Haiti (Liberation) to Viking England (Valhalla).
The Backlash to the Backlash
Musk’s comments ignited a firestorm within gaming communities. Critics argue his take reflects a growing trend of reactionary outrage over diverse casting—a pattern seen in controversies like The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power and The Little Mermaid remake. “It’s exhausting,” tweeted streamer and diversity advocate Lucy James. “Gamers once begged for historical settings beyond Europe. Now, when devs deliver, they’re called ‘woke’ for including people who actually existed.”
Others, however, echoed Musk’s skepticism. Online forums buzzed with claims that feudal Japan was “ethnically homogeneous” and that Yasuke’s role is overstated. Such arguments often ignore Japan’s history of cultural exchange—from Chinese scholars to Portuguese traders—and the franchise’s fantasy elements (see: time-traveling aliens and magical artifacts).
Ubisoft’s Bold Gambit
Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t just defending its casting—it’s leaning into a fraught cultural moment. By centering Yasuke and Naoe, Ubisoft risks alienating a vocal subset of fans but also taps into a growing demand for inclusive storytelling. The franchise has long balanced historical education with blockbuster action, and Shadows seems poised to continue that legacy. Early gameplay reveals showcase meticulously researched settings, from Kyoto’s cherry-blossom streets to the stealth mechanics of shinobi warfare.
Yet the studio’s response to Musk also signals a shift. Historically, game developers avoided engaging directly with critics, fearing fan backlash. Ubisoft’s pushback reflects an industry increasingly unwilling to let bad-faith narratives go unchallenged, especially as games face the same culture-war scrutiny as film and TV.
Why This Fight Matters
The Musk-Ubisoft spat isn’t just about one game—it’s about who gets to shape cultural narratives. As games evolve into a dominant art form, their stories are dissected not just for entertainment value but for ideological compliance. Musk’s critique, amplified by his platform, represents a broader effort to police creative boundaries, often under the guise of “protecting history” (a charge rarely leveled at, say, Assassin’s Creed’s zombie-Napoleon DLC).
For developers, the stakes are high. Capitulating to reactionary demands risks stifling innovation, while defiance could fuel harassment campaigns. Yet Ubisoft’s stance—bolstered by historians and fans—suggests a growing confidence in defending artistic vision.
Conclusion: History is Messy. So is Progress.
Elon Musk’s “terrible” verdict on Assassin’s Creed Shadows reveals less about the game than about the reductiveness of modern cultural debates. By weaponizing “wokeness” as a critique, detractors sidestep meaningful discussion about how history is taught, remembered, and reimagined.
Yasuke’s story, like many marginalized histories, deserves exploration—not erasure. As Dr. Thornton notes, “Feudal Japan wasn’t a monolith. It was a place of intrigue, conflict, and unexpected connections. Games like Shadows can make that complexity accessible.” Whether Musk’s followers agree is irrelevant. In the end, the real test isn’t a tweet—it’s whether the game honors its mission: to let players live the stories textbooks overlook.