- Assassin’s Creed Shadows associate game director says Ubisoft still plans to bring dual protagonists to the IP’s future games.
- The studio will feature dual protagonists if the setting and narrative call for it.
- He argues Ubisoft understands that two divisive protagonists can split fans but sees the feature as essential.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows faced a lot of controversy for having two unique protagonists that differed greatly in their combat style and gameplay. Historical inaccuracies surrounding Yasuke and the overall story also contributed to the game’s poor sales and user rating.
However, it seems Ubisoft is not at all affected by Shadows facing backlash for its dual contrasting leads. AC Shadows associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois says the studio still plans to include dual protagonists in future AC titles.
Why it matters: Ubisoft’s aim to bring dual protagonists in future AC games shows that all the criticism Shadows faced regarding the feature has not changed the studio’s mind.
Speaking with GamesRadar+, Simon clarifies that Ubisoft will pursue dual protagonists in future AC entries if the narrative and setting call for it.
Simon does not discuss the controversy surrounding Yasuke, as many gamers were specifically upset about the African lead. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was originally going to feature only Naoe, after all, and not two divisive protagonists.
The learning for us is that, yes, we could do more dual-protagonist games in the future – if we have a good reason to do it narratively and for the setting.
-Simon Lemay-Comtois, Associate Game Director.
The dual protagonist system has otherwise been appreciated in AC Syndicate. It’s unclear whether the next AC games—including Jade and Hexe—would include dual leads as divisive as Naoe and Yasuke or resemble the feature used for Evie and Jacob.
Some people just don’t like one character over the other. […] but with Naoe and Yasuke it’s more divisive. And we knew this. We knew going into it, but I think it can split our fan base a little too.
On a side note, Simon also adds that future AC games will focus on parkour as a core element, admitting that Shadows missed the mark.
Do you think future Assassin’s Creed games will also face controversy if they include dual protagonists? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devotedly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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