French sources claim Ubisoft's lawyers will pursue attackers harassing AC: Shadows devs. Meanwhile, first reviews have leaked
Ubisoft will not limit itself to condemning those harassing the developers of AC: Shadows. The company is expected to have a wide-ranging plan, while the first reviews are leaking online.
Ubisoft won't tolerate people harassing the developers of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and will not hesitate to use lawyers.
Such information was obtained by BFMTV (via Insider Gaming), citing anonymous company employees as the source. The information suggests that Ubisoft was expected to develop a "strategy to combat online harassment" following the release of the new "Assassin."
It is intended to take the form of a team that monitors social media and offers support to employees affected by persecution, both psychological and legal (i.e., related to law). The French publisher allegedly already has lawyers on standby with complaints about the "proven harassment" of its devs.
PCGamesN also obtained a statement from Ubisoft, which may confirm this information:
Our stance has always been that team members' social media channels are their own. Our top priority is the safety of our employees, including online, which is why, as a standard practice across Ubisoft, we offer guidance on navigating social media, digital safety, and support for team members' well-being.
We also share resources to help prevent and protect against online harassment, something our teams have unfortunately faced.
This last sentence probably refers to the previous troubles of AC: Shadows developers, who became the target - as executive producer Marc-Alexis Cote put it - of "attacks driven by intolerance." Such actions on the internet were also condemned by the CEO of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot.
It cannot be denied that the behavior of some internet users can be bizarre, if not downright reprehensible. Nonetheless, the question arises, how will Ubisoft's lawyers define "harassment" of developers. Depending on the definition, this may include not only hateful personal attacks but also obvious "trolling" or jokes. There are also concerns that this could be used to suppress any criticism of the publisher.
First reviews of AC: Shadows have leaked
Meanwhile, as reported by insider MauroNL, the first reviews of Assassin's Creed: Shadows have leaked online. It's about the reviews from IGN Brasil, which gave the game a score of 9/10, and Console Creatures, which rated it 8/10.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will be released on Thursday, March 20, and the official embargo on reviews will be lifted today at 10:00 am PT. Our opinion will also be among them.
