Ubisoft changing Assassin's Creed Odyssey DLC following forced relationship furore
Spoilers.
Ubisoft will alter its recent Assassin's Creed Odyssey DLC, in which the publisher previously admitted having bungled a pivotal narrative choice.
Spoilers for the DLC follow.
The DLC ends with Alexios/Kassandra in a relationship with another character whether you express an interest in them or not, and regardless of any romance choices up to that point. It's a union which ultimately results in a baby.
Fans were furious their character was being forced to romance someone they didn't feel their version of Alexios/Kassandra would be interested in.
It was particularly insulting to fans who had played their main character for hundreds of hours as gay (though I've also seen criticism from those who role-played as straight, too - the character Ubisoft forces you with is simply not that interesting).
Ubisoft will now alter scenes from the DLC's ending so your relationship with this character can remain exclusively non-romantic, if you choose.
In Odyssey's main storyline, your character's mother reveals you are the product of a non-romantic union designed to ensure your magical bloodline continues. This utilitarian approach to having a child is one the DLC aimed to provide as an option to romance, but missed spectacularly.
Here's Ubisoft's full statement on the matter, posted overnight:
"After hearing player feedback and discussing within the development team we are making changes to a cutscene and some dialogue in Shadow Heritage to better reflect the nature of the relationship for players selecting a non-romantic storyline. These changes, along with renaming a trophy/achievement, are being made now and will be implemented in an upcoming patch.
"We've also been carefully looking at the next episode, Bloodline, to ensure the paths that players experience mirror the choices they make in game."
For a company normally as inclusive as Ubisoft it still beggars belief the launch version of this DLC got through production unchallenged, but it is encouraging the developer has taken this feedback to heart and is now doing more than simply issuing an apology.