Ubisoft Reportedly Canceled a Reconstruction-Era Assassin’s Creed Game Following Shadows Backlash

Ubisoft has reportedly canceled a planned Assassin’s Creed title set during the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction era (1860s–1870s), according to a new report by Game File.

The decision was allegedly influenced by growing political sensitivities in the United States and the backlash Assassin’s Creed Shadows got for its black samurai protagonist, Yasuke.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows' black samurai protagonist, Yasuke

What the Game Would Have Explored

According to Game File’s Stephen Totilo, the now-canceled project would have followed a formerly enslaved Black man who moved west after gaining freedom and was later recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood.

The story would have seen him return to the South during Reconstruction, a time when the country grappled with rebuilding after the Civil War and confronting the emergence of white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

The project was reportedly in its concept phase and years away from release, but development work was underway when the decision to cancel it came down. Five current and former Ubisoft employees told Game File they were “enthusiastic” about the direction of the game, believing it had potential to make a positive social impact through its setting and themes.

Why It Was Canceled

Despite early approval from Ubisoft leadership, the game was canceled in 2024. Sources cited two main factors:

• Backlash to Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows – The reveal of a Black samurai protagonist in Shadows sparked online controversy, which reportedly made Ubisoft wary of pursuing another politically charged narrative.

• Concerns over U.S. political climate – One source told Game File the project was deemed “too political in a country too unstable.”

Beyond ideology, Ubisoft’s financial struggles may have played a role. As PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown described, 2024 was an “absolutely dire” year for the publisher, with repeated delays, underperforming releases, and a declining stock value. According to Game File’s sources, Ubisoft became more risk-averse in this climate, and leadership was hesitant to greenlight a project that might court controversy or face backlash in the U.S.

While Game File didn’t specify an internal codename, reports from Insider Gaming identified the project as Project Scarlet. The game was reportedly in development at Ubisoft Quebec under Game Director Scott Phillips, best known for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Odyssey. It was slated to be a mainline RPG installment targeting Ubisoft’s fiscal year 2028 (around October 2027).