Ubisoft Boss Confirms Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Designed To “Sometimes” Favor Yasuke Over Naoe

Ubisoft’s highly-anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been delayed twice now, but it seems like the delays were necessary because the studio is eager to give players an outstanding experience. As we approach the game’s release date, one of the game’s directors, Charles Benoit, talked about the game’s protagonists.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature two protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by the historical figure. Benoit explained that due to the distinctive combat styles of both the characters, there are a few parts in the game where the situation will favor Yasuke over Naoe and vice versa. Naoe, being a shinobi, is a stealth specialist while Yasuke has a more aggressive combat style.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will allow players to explore 16th-century Japan through the eyes of two protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke. Recently, one of the game’s directors, Charles Benoit, appeared for an interview with ScreenRant to talk about these exciting characters. During the conversation, Benoit explained that in some situations, one protagonist will be better than the other because of their different combat styles,

It’s more about when something is playable by both characters, we wanted it to be doable for both characters. And sometimes, yes, it will be a bit more in favor of Yasuke because you’re forced into a fight, so that would be more, it’s easier with Yasuke. But we try to not put all the strongest archetypes, so it’s still manageable with Naoe. But habitually, when we make you choose, we have something that is a bit more stealth with Naoe and a bit more fight with Yasuke.

Players can progress through the game with any character but using the right protagonist for the right missions would make things easier. For example, using Naoe for missions that require players to be silent and sneaky would be much more sensible.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows was initially planned to be released in November 2024 but was delayed to February 14th, 2025 for further polishing. Once again, the release date was pushed to March 20th, 2025 to allow developers to implement more features.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a crucial game for Ubisoft as there are rumors that the studio is struggling to stay afloat. The game has been in the spotlight for its controversies, specifically due to Ubisoft’s decision to feature a fictional version of Yasuke. Many claimed that Ubisoft should’ve featured an indigenous Japanese samurai, in fact, some even claimed that the depiction of samurai in the game is disrespectful.

Despite all the criticism, it is safe to say that there is a lot of hype for the game as insiders claim that there is a lot of positive buzz about the game. Many fans are also optimistic that Ubisoft will deliver an exceptional experience. The game is all set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, and iPadOS on March 20th, 2025.