Assassin's Creed Shadows dev calls out Elon Musk for "feeding hatred" in response to criticism of Black samurai Yasuke
What specific criticism did Elon Musk level against the inclusion of a Black samurai protagonist in Assassin's Creed Shadows?
Elon Musk criticized the inclusion of a Black samurai protagonist in Assassin's Creed Shadows by claiming that "DEI kills art." DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He made this statement in response to the game's trailer, which featured Yasuke, a Black samurai, as one of the playable protagonists. Some people argued that this went against historical accuracy, and Musk's tweet fueled their criticism.
How did Marc-Alexis Côté, the vice president executive producer of the Assassin's Creed series, initially react to Elon Musk's tweet?
Marc-Alexis Côté, the vice president executive producer of the Assassin's Creed series, initially felt emotional upon reading Elon Musk's tweet criticizing the inclusion of a Black samurai protagonist in Assassin's Creed Shadows. He stated that the tweet generated emotions and his first instinct was to respond to Musk. However, he decided to take a step back, practice mindfulness, and refrain from engaging in a potentially harmful exchange with the controversial businessman. Côté believed that by attacking Musk, he would not be able to effectively communicate the team's point of view on the matter.
Why did Marc-Alexis Côté ultimately decide not to engage directly with Elon Musk on social media regarding the criticism?
Marc-Alexis Côté, the Vice President Executive Producer of the Assassin's Creed series, ultimately decided not to engage directly with Elon Musk on social media regarding the criticism because he felt that by attacking someone like Musk, he would not be able to convince people about the team's point of view. Instead, he wanted people to play the game and form their own opinions about the inclusion of a Black samurai protagonist named Yasuke. Côté mentioned that if players were not convinced by what they experienced within the first 11 minutes and 47 seconds of the game, they could then have a discussion about it.