Ubisoft pulled the plug on an in-development Assassin’s Creed game last summer. The project was set in post-Civil War America and would have starred a formerly enslaved Black man. Multiple employees say management feared the current US political climate — and the online backlash around Assassin’s Creed Shadows — would make the release too risky.
What was this Assassin’s Creed about?
A tight pitch with a clear historical hook.
- Setting: the Reconstruction era (1860s–1870s).
- Protagonist: a Black man, formerly enslaved in the South, who moves West then returns to fight for justice.
- Antagonists and themes: the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and post-war power struggles.
The concept fits Assassin’s Creed’s formula: real history, messy politics, and a personal revenge arc. According to interviews cited in the report, the character would be recruited by the Assassins and drawn back into the South to confront violent supremacist groups. It sounds like the kind of period the series usually loves to tackle — just not this time.
Why did Ubisoft cancel it?
Two main reasons were reported.
- Fear of online backlash after the reveal of Yasuke, a Black samurai, in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
- Management concern about the current political climate in the United States.
Three employees told the source publication the decision came from Ubisoft’s Paris leadership. One staffer called it a choice to “maintain the political status quo”, avoiding risk even when the creative pitch was strong. That’s a sharp turn for a series that has, at times, waded into thorny history.
When did this happen?
The cancellation reportedly occurred “last summer”. The article was published on 8 October 2025, citing accounts from five current and former Ubisoft employees. The detail matters because it places the decision after the Shadows discourse flared up online.
Where does Assassin’s Creed go from here?
Ubisoft still has multiple AC irons in the fire — remakes, spin-offs, and cross-media projects — even if this pitch is gone.
- A Black Flag remake is reportedly in the works for 2026 with new content and mechanics. (Background: see our coverage.)
- Netflix has green-lit a live-action Assassin’s Creed series.
- Mirage continues to get updates, including a free AlUla expansion scheduled for 18 November — handy for UAE players looking for fresh content.
For a series overview beyond the cancelled project, you can read our pieces on the Black Flag remake and the Mirage AlUla update on Tbreak.
What else is happening inside Ubisoft?
The report also notes a new Tencent-backed Ubisoft subsidiary called Vantage Studios, now operating under co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot. The internal shuffle shows Ubisoft is still moving pieces around even as it trims projects. VGC
For wider Ubisoft strategy and where its big series might be headed, see our recent analysis of the Far Cry pivot toward live service and multiplayer in the region:
