Ubisoft Cancelled a Civil War-Era Assassin’s Creed Game

Last year, it was rumored that Ubisoft had canceled a new installment of Assassin’s Creed, which is the company’s most profitable franchise. It’s not shocking to hear about games getting canceled in this day and age, but there was speculation about what led the company to scrap an entry in its most prized IP possession. A new report has insight into what led to the game’s cancellation, and current and former employees interviewed as part of the piece say it’s due to the perceived controversy of the game’s setting. Here’s what we know.

According to Game File, the game was set to take place in Reconstruction-era America. The game would star a formerly enslaved Black lead character who returned to the South post-Civil War to fight for justice. Current and former Ubisoft staff also said the Ku Klux Klan was among enemy groups that you’d fight as the emancipated assassin. Ubisoft staff working on the game were very on board. Still, those interviewed for the article say the company was hesitant to set itself up for backlash due to the political climate in the United States.

Those interviewed also pointed out that Yasuke, a historically Black samurai featured in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, received significant backlash from those who decry any diversity in game characters. This, and an increasingly tense political climate in the United States, left Ubisoft executives feeling less than confident about continuing work on the game, which was early in development. As of now, it appears any concept of a Civil War-era Assassin’s Creed is dead in the water.

Given how 2025 has played out in terms of a reversal of diversity-forward initiatives from major corporations, it seems like Ubisoft is not unique in its sensitivity to a shifting political climate, but it’s interesting to see it play out in the way of a cancelled game. Ubisoft has not spoken to Game File as of this article about the report. I think the game would have made for an interesting concept and thrilling entry in the series. How do you think the game would have fared? Let us know in the comments!