Assassin’s Creed Shadows statue pulled over “insensitive” design

An Assassin’s Creed Shadows figure will no longer be purchasable, following mass criticism over its design featuring a one-legged torii gate.

In a statement posted on X on October 15, 2024, Purearts, the company behind the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke & Naoe figure has issued an apology following backlash over “insensitive” imagery. 

“We recently released an insensitive design. We appreciate and have learned from the concerns brought to our attention, and we apologize for the harm this caused. After reading and processing the feedback, we have immediately returned to the drawing board and are currently reworking the design of the Qlectors Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke & Naoe. Stay tuned!”

While the characters themselves didn’t receive any criticism, the main focus of the online backlash involved the broken torii gate. Many Japanese social media users were quick to point out that they had never seen a one-legged torii gate, other than the one in Nagasaki’s Sanno Shrine. 

This one-legged torii is well-known around the world as it famously broke during the Nagasaki atomic blast on August 9, 1945. It’s for this reason that the current Qlectors Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke & Naoe figure is being pulled from sale.

It’s important to note, that pre-orders have not been canceled and Purearts will email customers with further details soon. However, this isn’t the first time Assassin’s Creed Shadows has caught flak from the gaming community. 

Back in July 23, 2024, Ubisoft famously addressed the Japanese community after fans called out the game over historical accuracy, with many pointing fault at the game’s architecture, wrong clan signs, and seasonal inaccuracies.

There have also been complaints over one of the game’s leading protagonists, Yasuke, with fans believing Ubi has exaggerated his overall role in the Sengoku period, and involvement with Oda Nobunaga. 

Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been delayed until February 14, 2025, to “provide additional polish” to the franchise title.