A Civil War-era Assassin’s Creed could’ve been next, but it never made it out of the shadows.
Ubisoft has reportedly scrapped an Assassin’s Creed game that would have taken players to one of the most turbulent times in US history: the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period that followed.
According to a report by Game File, the project was shut down in 2024, with sources claiming that the decision followed backlash to the inclusion of Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and growing concern over the current political climate in the United States.
The report says five current and former Ubisoft developers spoke about the cancellation under the condition of anonymity. The game was still in early concept stages, but already had a clear direction: players would take on the role of a formerly enslaved Black man who joins the Assassins after moving west, later returning to the South to confront groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
Developers described the idea as one they were excited about, stating that it could have delivered a powerful story through the Assassin’s Creed lens. But leadership reportedly decided it was too risky, with one source calling it “too political in a country too unstable, to make it short.”
The Assassin’s Creed that never made it out of the shadows
While some parts of the game were planned to take place during the Civil War era, most of it would have taken place during Reconstruction, the chaotic years during which the US tried to rebuild and redefine itself. It was a time meant to bring equality and reintegration, but it also saw violent resistance and the rise of white supremacist groups, including the Klan.
It would’ve been a daring pick for an Assassin’s Creed setting, a series that has already taken players through eras like the Crusades and the French Revolution. However, PC Gamer suggests that Ubisoft leadership grew cautious after the intense online reaction to Yasuke’s reveal in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Yasuke is a Black samurai, and serves as one of the game's dual protagonists next to Naoe, a Japanese shinobi.
In the months that followed the game's release, CEO Yves Guillemot commented in September 2024 that the studio’s focus wasn’t on “pushing any specific agenda,” but on creating “games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy.”
Ubisoft’s “no politics” stance isn’t new. The company has consistently maintained a neutral stance, even when its games dove into historical conflicts and power struggles. Still, this project seemed impossible to separate from real-world politics, and according to sources, that made it an easy target for cancellation.
The decision reportedly came at a rough time for Ubisoft, with the publisher dealing with game delays, underwhelming releases, and financial struggles. One source suggested that tighter budgets also played a part, saying the company had become more cautious with new ideas than it was a few years ago.
There’s no word on whether this Civil War-era Assassin’s Creed will ever be revived, especially now that the Assassin's Creed franchise has just been moved to Vantage Studios, a new standalone studio created in collaboration with Tencent. For now, it has joined the list of Assassin’s Creed projects that never made it out of the shadows.
