Ubisoft Working With GLAAD on Next Assassin's Creed DLC

If you recall, there was a big ol’ controversy surrounding the DLC for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which forced players into a straight relationship even if they were in a happy gay relationship during the game’s main story. Fans were upset and Ubisoft apologized, but it actually didn’t end there: turns out, LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD actually gave Assassin’s Creed’s main storyline high praise and nominated it for a Media Award for your ability to get it on with whichever gender is to your liking, although they had to add a big ol’ caveat to that praise after the release of the DLC, criticizing Ubisoft for taking such a huge step backwards.

They went so far as to say:

"At worst, this sends the harmful message that sexual orientation can be changed at will and that LGBTQ people can choose to conform to heteronormative expectations in spite of their identities."

 
Which… you know, isn’t wrong.

But here’s where things get a bit more interesting: GLAAD states, in the very same blog post, that they’ve been in touch with Ubisoft, and they’re working together on the second DLC on ways to improve it and bring Assassin’s Creed Odyssey back to being a positive role model in media for people of every gender and sexual orientation. Ubisoft has also confirmed that they are talking with GLAAD, although they don’t directly say they’re working with them to improve the DLC. That could just be a case of omitting information on their end, however.

So, GLAAD, a political advocacy group, is working together with Ubisoft to improve their DLC. That… is a pretty darn interesting turn of events, if you don’t mind my saying. I’m sure it’ll ruffle a few feathers, but I’m mostly interested to see if GLAAD’s influence on the DLC will be obvious or not.

Just because you have the best of intentions, after all, doesn’t mean you’re good at making games or writing stories.