Japanese gamers are unhappy with the choice of Yasuke as the protagonist of Assassin's Creed Shadows

Ubisoft has officially unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows, which will be set in feudal Japan. However, the choice of black-skinned samurai Yasuke as one of the two main characters has caused surprise among some Japanese gamers.

Yasuke is a real historical figure. He was an African who came to Japan from India in the second half of the 16th century. Details of his life are very scarce, except that he served under Oda Nobunaga until the end. What became of him after that is virtually unknown, giving Ubisoft's screenwriters freedom for interpretation.

Fans of the Assassin's Creed series have long waited for the events of the game to move to Japan - the land of samurai and ninjas, honor and conquest. It has always seemed perfect for a series of games built around stealthy assassinations in a historical context, but Ubisoft has only now reached this theme.

Japanese gamers have noted that the Assassin's Creed series is known for its commitment to historical accuracy. In other games in the series, characters have conformed to the historical and cultural realities of their eras and locations. Changing this approach in Shadows seems odd and inconsistent with the rest of the games in the series, even if the second protagonist is a Japanese ninja girl.

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on November 12 for purchasers of the more expensive versions. Everyone else will be able to start playing on November 15 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.