By Tj Denzer
Copyright shacknews
Reports this week from sources inside Ubisoft have claimed that an Assassin’s Creed game was in the works as far as 2024 before being canceled due to concerns from management. The game was supposed to take place post-Civil War and would feature a former slave who takes up arms to fight for justice in the Reconstruction Period against a budding Ku Klux Klan. Rumor has it that due to backlash over Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and a troubled real-world American political climate, the game was scrapped.
This report comes from the Game File and Stephen Totilo, who claimed to have spoken with several sources inside Ubisoft regarding the project. According to those sources, many inside the studio were enthusiastic to work on a game that would have tackled the 1860s and 1870s in America through the lens of a former slave. However, the project was apparently not meant to be. Despite frustration from staff over its cancellation, leadership reportedly felt it was too hot for Ubisoft to handle due to the intensifying nature of politics in the United States, as well as the backlash to one of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ main characters, Yasuke.
“Too political in a country too unstable, to make it short,” one source told Game File.
SCOOP: Last year, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin’s Creed game set during Reconstruction. Was to feature a Black Assassin who, among other things, fought the rise of the KlanSources: Leadership nixed it over concerns re: U.S. political climate, backlash to Yasuke www.gamefile.news/p/scoop-ubis…[image or embed]
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo.bsky.social) October 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Assassin’s Creed Shadows did indeed face backlash, but it also overcame it to a notable degree. The game earned high praise in review and still holds a 79 percent positivity rating overall on Steam User Reviews. It also sold over 1 million copies in its first day of availability.
The Civil War Assassin’s Creed game was supposedly canceled in July of 2024, so it wouldn’t have even been active in development when Shadows launched to success and acclaim earlier this year. Ubisoft itself has been contacted, but has yet to comment on this story as of this writing.
Regardless, it’s a shame to know that a topic so historically rich would be cast of to the wayside over concerns of bad actors and their followings. Ubisoft continues to tackle other projects, but it remains to be seen what’s next for the group. Stay tuned to the Ubisoft topic here at Shacknews for news and updates.