As of March 20, 2025, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft’s ambitious venture into feudal Japan, has gone from a highly anticipated release to a full-blown international controversy. Launched today after months of delays and hype, the game—featuring dual protagonists Naoe, a shinobi, and Yasuke, a historical Black samurai—has been met with a firestorm of backlash, culminating in an unprecedented move: the Japanese parliament, known as the National Diet, has reportedly targeted Shadows, condemning it for alleged cultural disrespect and historical distortion. Viral clips of glitchy gameplay and contentious scenes have flooded X and YouTube, while posts claim the game is “doomed”—a slang term for being irreparably finished. What sparked this dramatic turn, and how did a video game escalate into a political showdown? Let’s explore the meltdown shaking Ubisoft to its core.

A Launch Under Siege: The Backlash Begins

Assassin’s Creed Shadows was poised to be Ubisoft’s redemption arc after a string of flops like Star Wars Outlaws. Set in the Sengoku period, it promised a visually stunning Japan—cherry blossoms swaying, castles looming—and a dual-protagonist system blending stealth and brute force. Yet, the launch has been anything but smooth. Technical issues erupted immediately: clips on X show Yasuke’s horse flipping upside-down, Naoe falling through floors, and NPCs behaving like glitchy phantoms. “Ubisoft delayed this twice and it’s still broken?” one X user raged, reflecting a sentiment that the promised “polish” never materialized.

But the bugs are just the tip of the iceberg. The real backlash centers on the game’s narrative and cultural choices, with Yasuke’s depiction as a gay-friendly samurai drawing the most heat. A viral scene where he tells Ibuki, a non-binary NPC, “Your blade cuts deeper than steel,” has been mocked as “woke cringe,” with X posts like “This is DEI gone wild” gaining traction. Gamers and commentators accuse Ubisoft of twisting Japan’s history to fit a modern diversity agenda, and the outrage has snowballed into a movement claiming Shadows is “doomed”—finished before it even had a chance.

Japan’s Parliament Targets Shadows

The controversy hit a new peak when it reached the National Diet, Japan’s legislative body. Posts on X and a YouTube video titled “BACKLASH: Assassin’s Creed Shadows is COOKED as Japanese parliament TARGETS the game, CONDEMNING it” (uploaded February 26, 2025) allege that Japanese politicians have formally condemned Shadows. According to a South China Morning Post report (March 20, 2025), Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addressed parliament, stating, “We will not tolerate any acts that do not respect the culture and religion of a country.” The trigger? A gameplay mechanic allowing players to destroy sacred Shinto shrines, including the real-life Itatehyozu-jinja in Hyogo Prefecture, depicted in-game as a destructible backdrop.

This isn’t the first time Shadows has irked Japan. In July 2024, politician Satoshi Hamada questioned the government about its historical inaccuracies, per GamesRadar, citing concerns from fans and a petition with over 80,000 signatures demanding its cancellation. That petition, now exceeding 100,000 per a March 19 NewsX report, accused Ubisoft of “a serious insult to Japanese culture.” But the Diet’s involvement marks a seismic shift. X posts claim a live session was broadcast today, March 20, discussing Shadows’ impact on tourism and cultural perception, with one user noting, “Even the PM is mad—this is political now.”

The shrine issue is particularly explosive. A Bounding Into Comics piece (February 25, 2025) quotes Hyogo Assembly member Nagase Takeshi decrying the “unspeakable atrocities” players can commit, like beheading monks and smashing sacred mirrors. The shrine’s caretakers told Sankei Shimbun they’d have refused Ubisoft’s use of their site if asked—a permission never sought. This, paired with Yasuke’s outsized role, has led to accusations of “cultural appropriation” and “historical erasure,” with X users lamenting, “They turned Japan into a woke playground.”

Condemning Ubisoft: A Cultural Reckoning

The Diet’s condemnation isn’t just about shrines—it’s a broader reckoning with Shadows’ portrayal of Japan. Historians note Yasuke existed, arriving with Jesuits in 1579 and serving Nobunaga, but his “samurai” status is debated, per a 2024 History Today article. Ubisoft’s choice to make him a central, romantic figure—complete with modernized dialogue—clashes with Japan’s own storytelling traditions, where figures like Miyamoto Musashi loom larger. Japanese players on 5ch and Nico Nico call it “a foreign fantasy,” with one writing, “This isn’t our Sengoku—it’s Ubisoft’s DEI dream.”

The “DEI” (diversity, equity, inclusion) label has stuck, fueled by a culture-war backlash that’s gone global. Elon Musk’s 2024 X post—“DEI kills art”—resurfaced, amplifying claims that Shadows sacrifices authenticity for activism. Right-wing outlets like That Park Place (March 14, 2025) argue Ubisoft ignored Japan’s heritage to appease Western trends, while X posts like “They erased samurai history for woke points” strike a chord with gamers rejecting the game outright. Ubisoft’s July 2024 apology to its “esteemed Japanese community” for promotional missteps feels like a distant memory as the Diet’s condemnation reignites the fury.

Viral Fallout: Shadows is “Doomed”

Online, Shadows is a dead game walking. X is ablaze with hashtags like #BoycottShadows and #WokeAssassinsCreed, alongside memes of Yasuke flailing in glitchy combat captioned “Doomed by Ubisoft.” YouTube channels like EndymionYT and Vara Dark feast on the chaos, with videos racking up millions of views—titles like “Assassin’s Creed Shadows is DOOMED” paired with thumbnails of burning shrines. The Ibuki romance scene has been edited with Curb Your Enthusiasm music, turning cringe into comedy gold.

Japanese sentiment adds weight. While no full Diet transcript is public as of today, X posts cite PM Ishiba’s stance as a tipping point, with one claiming, “Japan’s parliament just killed Shadows—it’s over.” Local gamers echo this, with 5ch threads slamming the game’s “Western lens” and buggy execution. “They disrespect our shrines and can’t even code right,” one user wrote, a jab at Ubisoft’s technical failures amplifying the cultural critique.

Ubisoft’s Sinking Ship

For Ubisoft, Shadows is a disaster of nuclear proportions. The company’s stock has plummeted to under €2 billion, per Reuters, after a brutal 2024 of flops and layoffs. Shadows was the lifeline, but its launch has tanked pre-order hype (down from Valhalla levels, per Q3 2025 earnings) and sparked investor panic. X rumors of a boycott align with a September 2024 Reuters report of shareholders like AJ Investments pushing for a sale to Tencent or Microsoft—a fate looming larger as Shadows flops.

Ubisoft’s response has been feeble. A day-one patch (TweakTown, March 20) makes shrines indestructible and tones down gore, but it’s too late—the Diet’s condemnation and gamer rejection have sealed Shadows’ fate. CEO Yves Guillemot’s 2024 disavowal of “hateful acts” against devs feels irrelevant as the backlash shifts from harassment to outright dismissal. “They’re doomed,” one X user declared, a sentiment echoing across the web.

A Faint Echo of Praise

Amid the rubble, some cling to Shadows’ strengths. IGN and Eurogamer laud its visuals—snow-dusted temples, dynamic seasons—and its combat, with Yasuke’s power and Naoe’s stealth shining when the game works. “It’s flawed but beautiful,” one X user admitted, a rare lifeline in a sea of scorn. Yet, with sales projections dim and the Diet’s shadow looming, these flickers of hope are faint.

Conclusion: A Game Condemned

Assassin’s Creed Shadows aimed to conquer Japan with a bold, diverse vision. Instead, it’s “doomed”—torched by bugs, rejected for its “DEI” slant, and now condemned by Japan’s parliament. The Diet’s targeting isn’t just a PR hit—it’s a cultural verdict, amplifying gamer fury into a national stand against perceived disrespect. Ubisoft’s dream of a Japanese epic lies in ashes, its fate a warning of what happens when ambition oversteps execution and cultural bounds. As one X post put it: “Shadows didn’t just fail—it got sentenced.” Whether Ubisoft can salvage the wreckage or faces a corporate reckoning, this backlash has rewritten the game’s legacy—and perhaps the company’s future—in flames.