“Basically copy and paste…”: Assassin’s Creed Shadows May Be a Work of Fiction, But Ubisoft Seemingly Used the Wrong Period for Reference in Damning Evidence

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is facing scrutiny from fans yet again for some glaring inaccuracies in its concept art and promotional materials.

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, while having inaccurate retellings of historical events for the sake of plot, usually pays meticulous attention to detail. However, it doesn’t seem to be the case for Shadows—and it isn’t about Yasuke this time.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Mixes up Eras

The game is said to be set in 1579 during the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. Unfortunately, it seemingly uses references from the wrong historical eras, which people haven’t hesitated to bring up.

Some eagle-eyed fans noticed that some of the concept art for Shadows appeared to directly rip from real-life photographs and artworks.

While initially accused of stealing or copy-pasting these, it looks like the team used the photobashing technique, which is commonly used in concept art to get across ideas quickly.

Is this promotional picture actually from AC Shadows?
byu/siean060 inAssassinsCreedShadows

However, further problems arose when people realized that the photobashed images weren’t even accurate to the period the game takes place in. The photographs and artworks are from the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1925) periods, rather than the Sengoku period.

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The Sengoku period, also known as the Warring States period, was marked by social upheaval, military conflict, and political intrigue. Meanwhile, the Meiji and Taisho periods were times of modernization and Westernization in Japan.

Is the Issue With the Photobashing or the Historical Inaccuracies?

There seem to be different groups of people angry at different parts of these comparison images that have popped up. Some are angry about the historical inaccuracies, while others think the game’s art team has simply copy-pasted and stolen artwork.

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Photobashing is indeed a legitimate technique, but the use of incorrect references can hurt the game’s authenticity, especially when it’s something that each entry in the franchise attempts to get right.

The inaccuracies aren’t just present in the concept art, though. Earlier, when the story trailer for AC Shadows had just come out, fans noticed an issue in the scene where the warlord Oda Nobunaga is meeting with his vassals.

アサクリにおけるその国の当時の建築物って目を見張るものがあって専門家にも関心されてるんだけどトレーラーののここは既にヤバいよな
信長の側近っぽいのが信長と同じ段に座っちゃってるしなんか謎に畳だし畳も正方形だし pic.twitter.com/iQMGurf9tA

— ﾋｬノス (@Dehya_is_Goddes) May 19, 2024

Nobunaga’s aides are sitting on the same level as him on square tatami mats. Historically, this isn’t correct. As pointed out by some Japanese fans, Tatami mats during the Sengoku period were typically rectangular and had uniform-sized borders around the edges.

Plus, in a hierarchical society like feudal Japan, it would be unusual for vassals to sit at the same level as their lord. Ubisoft’s staff later clarified that the error from the trailer had been corrected in the actual game.

It’s good to see the team retroactively correct these minor errors, although it raises questions about what else might be inaccurate in the game. What is your opinion on this whole issue?

Are people making a mountain out of a molehill, or does Shadows disrespect the culture and history it’s based on? Let us know in the comments below!