Musk Slams 'Yasuke' Game by Ubisoft as 'Terrible'

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Set in Japan's Warring States period, Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows) is a fictional story featuring a Black protagonist named Yasuke. In the story, he serves Oda Nobunaga. Recently, the game drew criticism from United States entrepreneur Elon Musk. The entrepreneur called it "a terrible game" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Musk's comment was triggered by a post from an influencer with left-leaning political views who had promoted the game. Ubisoft, the French developer behind the title, fired back on its official account, mocking Musk over a previous gameplay controversy.

The exchange quickly escalated into a rare public spat between a major game publisher and a high-profile businessman. That businessman also happens to play a key role in the Trump administration.

Streamer's Post Triggers Backlash

The online clash began when American influencer Hasan Piker — a left-leaning political commentator and popular Twitch streamer — encouraged his followers to buy AC Shadows. According to Forbes (online, December 2024), Piker faced allegations of spreading antisemitic views. That sparked a backlash that led companies like JPMorgan to pull their ads from Twitch. During a February trip to Japan, Piker also livestreamed from the headquarters of the Japanese Communist Party in Tokyo.

On March 26, game developer Mark Kern, who posts under the name Grummz, criticized Ubisoft for paying "a terrorist-platforming streamer" to promote the game. Kern was referring to Piker, a vocal supporter of Palestine known for incendiary remarks — including one that was interpreted as condoning the 9/11 attacks.

*Promotional image for AC Shadows, featuring Yasuke, depicted as a samurai, and a female ninja named Naoe (Image courtesy of Ubisoft)*

Musk echoed Kern's criticism, reposting the comments with additions of his own. "Hasan is a fraud," and "he's promoting a terrible game just for the money," Musk wrote. The two sit on opposite ends of the political spectrum, with Musk staunchly pro-Israel.

Anti-Israel Dig from 'Assassin's Creed'

That's when the official Assassin's Creed account clapped back at Musk with a pointed dig. "Is that what the guy playing your Path of Exile 2 account told you?" it asked. The comment alluded to a past livestream where Musk appeared to be playing the game at a high level but seemed unskilled — prompting speculation that someone else had played on his behalf.

Prime Minister Responds to Shinto Shrine Destruction Scene

Even before its March 20 release, AC Shadows had attracted controversy. Critics objected to the game's portrayal of Yasuke as a "legendary samurai." However, historically, it is dubious whether this is the true nature of the figure's role.

There has also been a strong backlash over a scene where Yasuke destroys the interior of a real-life Shinto shrine.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responded critically when the issue was raised in a March 19 budget committee session of the House of Councillors. He stated, "It's only natural to respect a country's culture and religion. When that's disregarded, it's important to send a clear message that such behavior won't be tolerated."

Author: Kanji Takahashi

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