Ubisoft steker Elon Musk over sine tvilsomme spillvaner etter å ha kritisert Assassin's Creed Shadows

In a surprising turn of events, Ubisoft has found itself in a bit of a public spat with Elon Musk, all thanks to the billionaire’s comments about Assassin's Creed Shadows. The latest installment in the popular Assassin's Creed series has stirred up its fair share of controversy, with critics arguing that the game’s portrayal of a Black samurai and a female ninja pushes a “woke” agenda. Musk, never one to shy away from voicing his opinions on social media, jumped in on X (formerly Twitter) and declared that Assassin's Creed Shadows is a “terrible game.” He also accused Ubisoft of paying popular streamer HasanAbi to promote it, calling the streamer a "sellout."

In typical Musk fashion, he didn’t hold back with his criticism. However, Ubisoft wasted no time firing back at the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. In a tweet that quickly gained traction, Ubisoft’s official Assassin's Creed account roasted Musk by referencing his own gaming habits. “Is that what the guy playing your Path of Exile 2 account told you?” the tweet read, poking fun at Musk's well-documented history of paying people to level up his characters in games like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2.

For those not in the know, Musk had previously bragged to Joe Rogan on his podcast about being one of the world’s top players in Diablo 4. However, a YouTuber later exposed that Musk had been using account boosters to level up his characters, admitting it was necessary to compete with hardcore players from Asia. This confession led to backlash from parts of the gaming community, with some calling for Musk's accounts to be banned for cheating.

The tweet from Ubisoft’s Assassin's Creed account quickly went viral, racking up over 52 million views and 738,000 likes—significantly more attention than Musk’s original tweet, which only garnered 4 million views and 30,000 likes.

Ubisoft’s jab at Musk comes at a time when Assassin’s Creed Shadows itself is being criticized for its portrayal of Japanese history. The game features a Black samurai, Yasuke, who is based on a real historical figure from the 16th century. Critics argue that the game takes too many liberties with Japanese culture, but Ubisoft has defended the game, stating that its plot is meant to be "historical fiction" and that the game offers a respectful portrayal of feudal Japan. Ubisoft also pointed out that all the Assassin’s Creed games are rooted in historical fiction.

In another subtle dig at Musk, Ubisoft tweeted a quote from the Assassin's Creed series itself: “Where other men blindly follow the truth... Remember, nothing is true.” This, of course, is a signature line from the franchise, but it could easily be read as a cheeky response to Musk’s less-than-accurate claims about the game.

Interestingly, Musk’s roasting from Ubisoft might just be the beginning of this saga. In a previous tweet, Musk hinted at starting his own AI-driven game studio under his startup xAI to rival traditional game studios, saying, “Too many game studios are owned by massive corporations. xAI is going to start an AI game studio to make games great again!” Whether that’s a real project in the works or just another Musk pipe dream remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the gaming world is in for a wild ride if he follows through.

As we recently reported, Ubisoft has spun off its popular game franchises — Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six — into a new division backed by Tencent. The move is intended to streamline operations and attract additional investment, allowing it to focus more on these core titles.

As for Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has been quick to remind Musk and the public that the game is a work of historical fiction, as are all Assassin's Creed titles. The developer has also reiterated its commitment to portraying diverse characters and stories, even if it means taking creative liberties with history. It’s safe to say that this feud is far from over, and with Musk’s penchant for getting involved in public spats, we can only expect more drama to unfold.

In the meantime, Ubisoft seems to be coming out on top, with their clapback tweet receiving far more attention than Musk’s criticism. It’s unclear whether Musk will respond in kind or just let this one slide, but one thing is certain: when it comes to Assassin's Creed, the company isn't afraid to defend its creative choices—even if it means taking a jab at one of the most powerful men in the world.