Ubisoft had an Assassin's Creed concept that could have been a genuine swing: a Civil War-era story centered on a formerly enslaved Black protagonist who joins the Brotherhood and goes up against enemies including the Ku Klux Klan. It was killed in 2024 because leadership decided it was too politically risky. That is not me guessing — that is what multiple people inside the studio told Game File in a paywalled report.
What got shelved
The project was set during and after the American Civil War, with you playing a Black man who had escaped slavery and joined the Assassins. One of the main threats: the KKK. According to the report, leadership had initially signed off on the idea, but by the time the team got through the concept phase — still years out from any possible ship date — the top brass pulled the plug.
"Too political in a country too unstable, to make it short."
The timing is notable: sources say the cancellation happened in 2024, shortly before the July 13 assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. The decision came after racist pushback had already kicked up around Assassin's Creed Shadows featuring Yasuke, a Black samurai, but people familiar with the call say that was only a minor factor. The broader worry, per the report, was the current U.S. political climate.
How it went down
- Game File spoke with five current and former Ubisoft employees for the story.
- The Civil War game had initial leadership approval and made it through the concept phase before being canceled in 2024.
- The cancellation happened shortly before July 13, the day of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
- Leadership felt the subject matter was too politically sensitive for the U.S. right now.
- Backlash to Shadows and its Black samurai lead was in the mix, but reportedly only a small part of the decision.
- Internally, some devs saw the move as yet another choice to maintain the status quo and avoid risk, creative or otherwise.
One developer quoted in the report said they were disappointed but not surprised, describing a pattern of choices meant to keep things neutral and safe. Another noted that top-down calls like this drain creative ambition and motivation. If you work in games, that probably sounds familiar.
The wider context (and some whiplash)
Meanwhile, Ubisoft is actively developing new Assassin's Creed Mirage DLC in collaboration with Saudi Arabia. Separate but related, the director of Assassin's Creed 3 recently said the company put a lot of pressure on teams to add play time and bulk up games with RPG systems to slow down resales — because, in his words, GameStop was the only one making money on those transactions. Different issue, same throughline: decisions that prioritize optics and business realities over creative risk.
Bottom line: this canceled Civil War concept sounds like the kind of bold take that could actually move the series forward. Ubisoft decided the heat was not worth the light. Given the current climate — and the company’s recent choices — that tracks, even if it is disappointing.