It was recently reported that Ubisoft had a great idea for an Assassin’s Creed game, only to cancel it. As reported by Game File, this unannounced Assassin’s Creed game would have been set after the US Civil War, and the player character would have been a former slave, as part of a story that involved the KKK. However, following the racist backlash to Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ protagonist, Yasuke, it was cancelled.
The fanbase has not been happy with this at all, with many disappointed to hear that not only has Ubisoft allegedly conceded to the racists, but cancelled a game with a promising premise, seemingly to win them over. But it isn’t just fans who are upset – they also have an actor from a previous Assassin’s Creed game in their corner.
Ralph Ineson Isn’t Happy About Ubisoft Allegedly Cancelling A Game Because It Features A Former Slave Fighting The KKK
Ralph Ineson is best known for incredible performances in films like The Witch, Nosferatu, and The Green Knight, but he’s also been in a few video games. One of these is Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, where he played Charles Vane.
So, the report about this potential Assassin’s Creed game popped up on his timeline, and he shared a simple, but meaningful response: “Once again, f*ck off”. The “once again” part presumably refers to how he had recently told an “AI actor” to eff off as well. What a perfect social media presence.
If the initial report is accurate, and it really was cancelled because of racist weirdos, then this truly would be a cowardly move on Ubisoft’s part. Even from a cynical, capitalist point of view, it would make little sense. Despite the aggressive backlash from some corners of social media, Assassin’s Creed Shadows sold incredibly well. Back in August, it had the lead on every other new release this year, giving Ubisoft a much-needed win after Star Wars Outlaws failed to impress commercially.
Right now, there’s no saying what Assassin’s Creed game will be announced next. This post-Civil War game was said to have been cancelled last year, so if that ever was in development, that’s now long gone, with enough time having passed to think of something else. But who knows? Since that game was said to have been cancelled, Shadows went on to perform incredibly well. Perhaps that – and enough shaming from people like Ineson – will be enough to encourage the company to re-explore the idea. Either way, the idea of it being cancelled at all is a damning indictment of where we are now.
