The makers of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows statue have announced they are reworking the design featuring a one-legged torii gate after backlash over its resemblance to a Nagasaki nuclear attack monument.

The maker of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows miniature featuring Yasuke and Naoe has announced it is “reworking” the collectible after receiving feedback about its initial “insensitive design.”

PureArts unveiled the statue in September, and at first glance, it seemed harmless: Funko-esque figures of Yasuke and Naoe, the leads in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, posed beside a partial torii gate.

However, fans quickly pointed out that the torii in the collectible bore a striking resemblance to the one-legged torii standing outside the Sannō Shrine, a remnant of the 1945 nuclear attack on Nagasaki. This half-destroyed torii, which remains upright despite being located less than a kilometer from the blast’s epicenter, holds significant historical and cultural importance.

Fair criticism of the design spread rapidly on social media, with gamers voicing concerns about the cultural insensitivity of using such an iconic symbol. The initial complaints were exacerbated by broader outrage from those upset by the inclusion of a playable Black character in a fantasy action game set in feudal Japan. Legitimate concerns about cultural appropriation soon morphed into a larger backlash directed at Ubisoft.

PureArts has now acknowledged the issue and announced plans to revise the design. “We recently released an insensitive design,” the company said in a statement posted on X. “We appreciate and have learned from the concerns brought to our attention, and we apologize for the harm this caused.”

“After reviewing the feedback, we have immediately returned to the drawing board and are now working on a new design for the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke & Naoe Qlectors. Stay tuned for updates!”

PureArts added in a follow-up post that preorders for the original design have not been canceled, and customers who preordered will receive an email with further details soon.

Source: PC Gamer