The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on March 20, 2025, was supposed to be Ubisoft’s triumphant return to form—a breathtaking dive into feudal Japan with dual protagonists Naoe, a nimble shinobi, and Yasuke, a historical Black samurai. Instead, it’s been “destroyed” online, with gamers and critics alike tearing into its “awful” voice acting and the much-maligned Yasuke romance scenes, while accusing the media of shilling hard to defend it. Viral clips of stilted dialogue and cringe-worthy performances have taken X and YouTube by storm, turning Shadows into a punching bag just hours after release. What’s behind this vocal meltdown, and why is the media’s pushback only fueling the fire? Let’s break down the chaos shredding Ubisoft’s latest gamble.

A Launch Voice-Deep in Trouble

Assassin’s Creed Shadows hit shelves today with sky-high expectations—its Japan setting, lush visuals, and dual-protagonist system hyped as a franchise peak. But the shine wore off fast as players encountered what many are calling “awful” voice acting. Clips circulating on X showcase Yasuke delivering lines like “Your spirit is a flame that warms my soul” to Ibuki, a non-binary NPC, with all the emotion of a text-to-speech bot. Naoe fares little better, her “Your heart beats like the drums of war” sounding more bored than badass. “This is voice acting hell,” one X user posted, sharing a montage of flubbed lines that’s since racked up thousands of retweets.

The backlash isn’t just nitpicking. Web forums like Reddit’s r/assassinscreed are flooded with complaints—NPCs with mismatched accents (think British samurai in Japan), awkward pauses mid-cutscene, and a general lack of gravitas that undercuts the game’s epic scope. “It’s like they hired amateurs off Craigslist,” one user quipped, a sentiment echoed in a YouTube video by EndymionYT titled “Assassin’s Creed Shadows DESTROYED For AWFUL Voice Acting, Yasuke Romances As Media SHILLS Hard.” The video, uploaded March 20, has exploded with over a million views, cementing Shadows’ voice woes as a viral disaster.

Yasuke Romances: Cringe Overload

The voice acting’s awfulness shines brightest—or darkest—in Yasuke’s romance scenes, which have become the internet’s favorite whipping boy. As a historical figure with scant records (a Black retainer under Oda Nobunaga in the 1580s), Yasuke’s reimagining as a romantic lead was already divisive. Ubisoft doubled down with optional same-sex options, like his pairing with Ibuki, but the execution has been a trainwreck. The infamous “Your blade cuts deeper than steel” exchange—delivered in a monotone that’d make Siri blush—has been memed to death, with X edits adding laugh tracks and captions like “Romance: 0, Cringe: 100.”

It’s not just the delivery; the writing’s on trial too. Lines like “Our fates intertwine like cherry blossoms in the wind” feel ripped from a bad fanfic, and the lack of buildup—flirt prompts lead straight to fade-to-black moments—leaves players cold. “This isn’t romance, it’s a humiliation ritual,” one X user raged, tying it to broader accusations of “woke” pandering. YouTube montages dissect every awkward pause, with Vara Dark’s “Yasuke Romances: The Cringe That Killed Shadows” calling it “the death knell of immersion.” The voice acting’s flatness only amplifies the cringe, turning a bold choice into a fatal flaw.

Media Shills: Defending the Undefendable?

As gamers trash Shadows, some accuse the media of “shilling” to prop it up. Outlets like IGN (8/10) and GameSpot (7/10) praised its visuals—cherry blossoms, dynamic seasons—and combat, with Yasuke’s brutality and Naoe’s stealth earning nods despite bugs. Kotaku went further, lauding Yasuke’s romances as “a step forward for representation,” glossing over the execution. “The voice acting isn’t perfect, but it’s not a dealbreaker,” IGN wrote, a line X users seized as proof of bias. “Media shills bending over backwards for Ubisoft,” one post fumed, sharing a clip of Naoe’s robotic delivery to mock the disconnect.

The “shill” narrative isn’t new—gaming media’s cozy ties to publishers have long sparked distrust—but Shadows has supercharged it. X threads point to Ubisoft’s pre-launch press events as evidence of softened reviews, while That Park Place (March 15, 2025) alleges critics downplayed voice issues to protect access. “They’re shilling while we’re suffering,” one user wrote, contrasting glowing write-ups with viral clips of Yasuke sounding like he’s reading a grocery list. The divide’s stark: Metacritic sits at 82—decent, not disastrous—yet the internet’s roasting tells a different story.

Japan Joins the Chorus

The backlash isn’t just Western—Japan’s piling on too. Posts on 5ch and Nico Nico slam the voice acting, with English-accented Japanese NPCs drawing ire. “They sound like tourists, not samurai,” one 5ch user wrote, a jab at Ubisoft’s “Westernized” take. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s March 19 Diet condemnation of Shadows—focused on destructible shrines—didn’t mention voices, but local gamers tie it to broader disrespect, with one noting, “Even the PM knows this is trash.” The awful delivery of Yasuke’s lines only deepens the cultural rift, making “huge success” a tougher sell in Japan.

Ubisoft’s Voice of Doom

For Ubisoft, Shadows was a lifeline after a brutal 2024—Star Wars Outlaws flopped, Skull & Bones burned cash, and the stock’s at under €2 billion (Reuters, 2025). A dev’s leaked warning (EndymionYT, March 19) that it must be a “huge success” or “we’re in trouble” looms large—awful voice acting could be the Achilles’ heel. Pre-orders were solid (Q3 2025 earnings), but the launch’s vocal disaster—paired with bugs like NPCs floating mid-air—threatens sales. “Voice acting this bad kills hype,” one X user predicted, a grim echo of the dev’s plea.

Ubisoft’s response? Silence beyond a day-one patch (TweakTown, March 20) fixing bugs but not voices. CEO Yves Guillemot’s 2024 call to “enjoy” Shadows feels laughable as clips of Yasuke’s monotone romance dominate X. With Tencent buyout rumors swirling (Bloomberg, 2024) and investors like AJ Investments pushing for a sale (Reuters, September 2024), Shadows’ failure could tip the scales. “They’re cooked if this flops,” one X post warned, tying the voice fiasco to Ubisoft’s survival.

The Internet’s Roast Fest

Online, Shadows is a laughingstock. X is flooded with #ShadowsVoiceFail and #CringeCreed, with glitch-romance mashups captioned “Destroyed by bad acting!” YouTube’s feasting too—EndymionYT’s video pairs voice flubs with scathing commentary, while Vara Dark’s “Ubisoft’s Voice Acting Nightmare” mocks media “shills” defending it. The culture-war angle—pitting “woke” Yasuke against “authentic” gaming—adds fuel, with right-wing voices like Tim Pool calling it “DEI trash.” “Media can shill all they want—this is unsalvageable,” one X user declared.

A Faint Whisper of Praise

Some cling to Shadows’ strengths. Eurogamer praises its world—snow-dusted temples, vibrant seasons—and combat, with Yasuke’s power shining despite the voice. “It’s rough but gorgeous,” one X user admitted, a rare nod amid the trashing. Yet, with the internet fixated on awful acting and romance flops, these whispers are barely audible.

Conclusion: A Voice That Sinks the Ship

Assassin’s Creed Shadows aimed to soar with a bold Japan epic, but its “awful” voice acting and Yasuke’s romance flops have “destroyed” it in the public eye. The flat, cringe-inducing delivery—amplified by viral clips—has drowned out its merits, with gamers rejecting Ubisoft’s vision and accusing media “shills” of propping up a corpse. Japan’s disdain and a dev’s dire warning only deepen the wound—this isn’t just a misstep; it’s a potential death knell. As one X post put it: “Bad voices sank Shadows—Ubisoft’s next.” Whether patches can mute the backlash or the company faces a reckoning, Shadows’ legacy is already a cautionary tale—of ambition undone by a voice too weak to carry it.