Ubisoft just cannot stop courting controversy at the moment, and this time it is the publisher’s mobile title Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad that is in the spotlight. In this game, there is an “evil” group opposing the government which the likes of Sam Fisher go up against. So far, standard fare seen in a lot of Ubisoft games. The issue stems from the logo choice for the organisation called Umbra whose mission is to change the system. The logo chosen to represent Umbra is a raised black fist. The same logo that is representative of the Black Lives Matter movement. You can watch the opening below.
In a statement today, Ubisoft confirmed it would be removing the imagery from Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad:
Imagery that appeared in the opening video sequence of Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad featuring a ‘raised fist’ was insensitive and harmful in both its inclusion and how it was portrayed. We have listened to and appreciate the players and the broader community who have pointed it
out and we apologize. This ‘raised fist’ imagery will be removed in the next title update this Tuesday, September 1 on Android and as soon as possible on iOS.
This would not have been a last-minute addition to the opening scene. The designs would have been seen and approved by multiple people yet it was still signed off. The point seems to draw parallels between the organisation Umbra in the game, with the real-life Black Lives Matter movement. Both are protesting to change the system. Umbra says it wants a more egalitarian society, while the BLM movement gained traction to oppose police brutality following the murder of George Floyd. While Ubisoft has apologised questions will be raised asking how the imagery was approved in the first place, and who approved it.
