Ubisoft chief confronted in-person with questions about “woke” content and “stop killing games”

https://www.gamefile.news/p/ubisoft-ceo-ghost-recon-assassins-creed-shadows-valorant-annual-report

Summary of "Ubisoft chief confronted in-person with questions about 'woke' content and 'stop killing games'" (Game File, July 18, 2025)​

At Ubisoft's annual general meeting (AGM) on July 10, 2025, in Paris, CEO Yves Guillemot faced direct questions from shareholders, including a dramatic in-person confrontation that echoed online "culture war" debates on X/Twitter. A self-described longtime gamer and recent investor stood up during Q&A to challenge two major criticisms:

"Woke" content in Assassin's Creed Shadows: The shareholder highlighted controversy over the game's Black African samurai protagonist Yasuke (set in 16th-century Japan), a romance option with a transgender character, and accusations of a "woke-ist trend" damaging Ubisoft's reputation. They bluntly asked: "Woke or not woke?" and pressed if Guillemot would abandon the "leftist political agenda."

• Guillemot's response: He defended the creative choices, stating the game's goal is to "showcase characters with heroic journeys." He noted Yasuke was a real historical figure and supported the development team's decisions, without engaging the "woke" framing directly. No regrets expressed, aligning with prior comments.

"Stop Killing Games" petition: Referencing Ubisoft's shutdown of online-only titles like The Crew, the shareholder asked if players truly "own" games and if Guillemot supported the petition demanding offline modes or preservation.

• Guillemot's response: "Obviously support for all games cannot last forever," but "we’re working on" solutions, citing software obsolescence and iterative updates (e.g., version 2, 3). He framed it as a "far-reaching issue."