Ubisoft reminds Assassin’s Creed Shadows players that you control the buttons you press, even when it comes to romance: “Flirting in RPG games is always optional”

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally here, and Ubisoft has been quick to address complaints about its optional romances by reminding players that no one is forcing them to flirt with anyone.

In Shadows, both protagonists – Yasuke and Naoe – have a number of potential romance options to choose from, so long as players choose to play with Canon Mode turned off (as this removes all romances from the game). They’re a varied bunch, so no matter how you headcanon the protagonists’ personal preferences (or, of course, if you want to lean into your own), there’s an option available – both of them can flirt with characters of the opposite or same sex, and Yasuke can also get romantic with a nonbinary character.