A staggering amount of fan backlash hit Ubisoft upon the release of the second episode of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Legacy of the First Blade DLC after fans learned a major choice was made for them. After the protagonist was `forced into a heterosexual relationship and parenthood, many fans were outraged, considering they may have been playing their characters as gay or celibate. Ubisoft scrambled to make one statement and apology after another and eventually conceded that they would change the ending to the controversial expansion. That revised ending will soon be on its way to Odyssey according to the French developer.
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While provided with no specifics in regards to the changes, players can expect adjustments to both cutscenes and dialogue. Hopefully, this will fix the mistakes Ubisoft made in crafting Shadow Heritage, as well as mend the general distrust that has grown around the game since the incident. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was previously heralded for its freedom of romantic options, but in the wake of this controversy, the community’s sense of betrayal is understandable.
Ubisoft, on the other hand, seemed genuine in their response and managed to strike a sincere tone after a few apologies. They stated their intentions for the story at the time and made it ever so clear they had not meant to generate the negative response they did. Adjusting the DLC is an act of pure goodwill and one that makes their statements feel all the more authentic. Of course, whether or not the community at large will be satisfied with the changes remains to be seen.
Additionally, Odyssey’s Shadow Heritage DLC also featured a trophy titled Growing Up, which was earned after the protagonist had their child. This upset fans as well, who were offended that the notion of becoming a parent is somehow intrinsically linked with maturity. The idea that those who choose not to have children are somehow less mature than those who do was reflected in the title of the digital award. Ubisoft clarified the fact that this was not their intention, but acknowledged the misstep verbally, as well as by changing the title of the trophy to Blood of Leonidas.