"As translated by , ex-Automaton Ubisoft Osaka game designer Kensuke Shimoda shared his pushback in response to a comic by manga artist Sadataro attributing Assassin's Creed Shadows' sales performance to Ubisoft's "DEI" initiatives. For context, Ubisoft has previously stated that Assassin's Creed Shadows "performed within expectations," and, as of July 2025, had amassed over 5 million players. Ever since Shadows dared include an African samurai as one of its two protagonists, it's been the target of anti-woke attacks,"
"Shimoda, who worked for the publisher from 2021 to 2024, stated "unequivocally" that Ubisoft's DEI initiatives "didn't wield that much influence" and were, in fact, "actually beneficial" in helping them expand in South America and the Middle Eastern territories. His comments regarding Ubisoft's "excessively low turnover rate" and "lack of senior/lead-level staff with experience" imply that Shimoda lays the blame squarely at the feet of the publisher's upper management, especially when paired with his "Big Business Syndrome" remark."
Ex-Automaton Ubisoft Osaka game designer Kensuke Shimoda rejected claims that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives caused Ubisoft's financial or development problems. He said DEI exerted little influence and proved beneficial for expansion into South America and Middle Eastern territories. Ubisoft reported Assassin's Creed Shadows performed within expectations and had over five million players by July 2025. Shadows' inclusion of an African samurai prompted anti-woke backlash. Shimoda pointed to upper-management problems, including an excessively low turnover rate and a lack of experienced senior or lead-level staff, and invoked the concept of Big Business Syndrome to describe leadership complacency.
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