Ubisoft had released a twitter discussion on the tea ceremony within Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and THE INTERNET WAS NOT AMUSED. The original tweet was something along these lines: the ritual demands a respectful air of mutual culture passed down through history, combined with the calming description of the tea setting we see in the game, while fans came along hot with their reactions ranging from compliments to absolute chaos.
Good vibes first. Another user, EternalDreadLord, actually found the tea ceremony mechanic nice during their Japan trip. “Bow midway and turn the bowl to the right twice,” they said, proving that trivia from gaming actually gets some use every now and then. On the other hand, PhysicsAnonie stepped out in defense, saying Shadows is a step forward compared with recent entries, at least in terms of storytelling and motion capture.
Now… oh, mercy. From the heat of the wrath, each harsh word seemed to feel like an impact of a dagger poisoned straight to the gut. Some fans roasted this game with a vengeance: “Janky as fuck” (thanks, Cross); or if not completely roasting it, requested Ubisoft to go and remove the Denuvo DRM. There were those flocking to question the cultural accuracy, one user sarcastically asking why cultural appropriation seems to only matter sometimes… for certain groups, of course. And Retro Jank would not be Retro Jank without throwing in a classic: “Fuck this game.” Short. Sweet. To the point.
What was a matter of real debate was whether Shadows was still an Assassin’s Creed game. Cameron and others bemoaned the fact that the Templars, iconic villains of the series, had been pushed almost into the background, making it feel far away from the franchise’s roots. PhysicsAnonie responded that the Shinbakufu were merely Templar puppets, but this was clearly splitting the camp. It felt like some fans were very much fed up with what they considered the decline of Ubisoft’s standards, while others are just happy to get another AC game, flaws and all.
Now, the jokes were coming up. Punished Billy accused Ubisoft of disrespecting Japanese culture, but Ty Ty kept it simple: “Nobody wants to drink tea in an Assassin’s Creed game.” Fair enough. Still… imagine being that angry over virtual tea.
In the end, this tweet really went ahead and did what Ubisoft never wanted to see happen: it became a battleground for frustration, hopes, and hot takes. Towards Shadows, loved or hated as a dumpster fire, AC fans have never been shy about conversing outright, and that’s just gorgeous in its own messy way.
