Ubisoft Cancels Assassin's Creed Post-Civil War American Game, What Happened?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Ubisoft, a leading game developer, has reportedly canceled its highly ambitious Assassin's Creed game project that was planned to be set in the post-Civil War United States, specifically during the Reconstruction era of the 1860s and 1870s.

As reported by PC Games, the decision to cancel was made in mid-2024 by Ubisoft management in Paris, despite the project having reached a promising early stage of development.

The cancellation is strongly suspected to have been driven by internal concerns within Ubisoft about the current sensitive political climate in the United States.

Furthermore, the negative reaction to Assassin's Creed Shadows regarding the character Yasuke is also said to have contributed to the decision.

The project, codenamed "Project Scarlet," was supposed to feature a Black protagonist who was once a slave.

Ubisoft canceled an 'Assassin's Creed' game set after the Civil War • Featured a Black Assassin who was formerly a slave • Would fight the emerging Ku Klux Klan• Leadership canceled it — concerned with US political climate & Yasuke backlash (via @stephentotilo) pic.twitter.com/pVuIYxReor

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) October 8, 2025

This canceled Assassin's Creed game had an incredibly bold story concept where the main protagonist was a former Black slave who managed to escape slavery in the Southern United States.

He then traveled West to start a new life before being recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood.

After becoming an Assassin, the character returned to the South to fight for justice and confront the resurgence of the racist Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

The storyline was designed to explore themes of racial violence, the struggle for citizenship rights, and the post-war reintegration of the Confederate states.

Despite being in early development, the team's enthusiasm for "Project Scarlet" was high, since believed the game could provide a new and profound perspective on a crucial period in American history.

However, this creative vision was halted due to a decision from top management.

One of the main reasons of the cancellation was Ubisoft's concern that the game's setting and themes would be deemed "too political" given the current unstable political condition in the United States.

Internal sources tells Game Files that Ubisoft management in Paris felt the project was too politically risky.

Furthermore, the decision was reportedly influenced by the negative online reaction to the reveal of Yasuke, a black samurai, as one of the protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

In response to noise from the worst corners of gamerdom, CEO Yves Guillemot said in September 2024 that "our goal is not to push any specific agenda," and that its intent is simply to make "games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy."

The company reportedly wanted to "maintain the political status quo" and avoid any form of controversy.

The cancellation of this post-Civil War Assassin's Creed game caused deep disappointment among Ubisoft's internal developers.

Many were frustrated and believed the company was backing away from a bold and meaningful idea.

Some developers even saw this decision as Ubisoft eschewing substantial storytelling in favor of safer, less risky narratives.

There were concerns that Ubisoft might be missing an opportunity to produce relevant and in-depth content that could have appealed to a wider audience and appreciated the depth of the story.

One source told Game File that Ubisoft's finances also impacted the decision to cancel the project.

"Project Osiris" was another Ubisoft project canceled around 2013, initially linked to a Prince of Persia reboot or an Assassin's Creed spin-off set in ancient Egypt.