Assassin’s Creed: Shadows confirms main characters can be played as gay

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will let players have same-sex romances, according to developer Ubisoft.

The latest title in the hit franchise will let players romance non-playable characters (NPCs), similar to previous games in the series.

The game, set to be released in November, is set in 16th-century Japan at the end of the Sengoku period. Players can pick to play as either Naoe, a female shinobi warrior, or Yasuke, a samurai originally from Africa.

According to information shared about the game by Ubisoft Quebec, NPCs will be romanceable depending on the character the player chooses, meaning that certain characters will only be attracted to either Naoe or Yasuke.

Those options will include same-sex NPCs for both characters, as well as platonic relationships for those not looking for anything overtly sexual.

Rumours that the characters would be queer in some way were shared by the development studio in a blog post in May, which said: “[Naoe and Yasuke’s personalities] lead them to have different relationships and rapport with other characters, and they don’t always feel the same way about people.

“Romantically, [the Assassin’s Creed: Shadows protagonists] will also attract and be attracted to different types of people. Through the pair, players will get to experience a multitude of relationships.”

Naoe and Yasuke’s definitive sexuality will ultimately be up to the player depending on who they romance, with the option being left open for a more authentic “role-playing” experience.

Similar options were available in the series’ previous entry, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which allowed players to have gay sex as the game’s protagonist, Viking Eivor Varinsdottir.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, which was set in Ancient Greece, also allowed players to have same-sex relations as either Alexios or Kassandra.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will be available on 15 November on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC.