Reports from Game File indicate that Ubisoft reportedly halted development on an Assassin`s Creed title last year. The game`s proposed setting, the American Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction period of the 1860s and 1870s, was deemed too sensitive for the franchise`s player base.
This early-stage project would have allowed players to embody a Black protagonist who broke free from enslavement, established a new life away from the Southern states, and was later inducted into the Assassin Brotherhood. His journey would have involved returning to the South to challenge prominent racist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan.
According to three anonymous sources speaking to Game File, the decision to cancel stemmed from negative online reactions following the announcement of Yasuke, a historically-inspired Black samurai, as a lead character in the upcoming Assassin`s Creed Shadows, coupled with the current tense political atmosphere in the United States. Developers involved in the canceled game expressed dismay, believing the company succumbed to anticipated public criticism.
It`s worth noting that Ubisoft has previously released Assassin`s Creed games set within North American history. For example, Assassin`s Creed 3 explored the American Revolution in the 18th century, featuring locations like Boston and New York City, and starred a protagonist of mixed heritage seeking retribution for his mother`s death.