Ubisoft has frequently been a target of player community mockery in recent years due to controversial statements and decisions, most notably the company's persistent use of the term "4A game."
This designation, originally meant to signify extremely high quality, has long become a meme among players, especially after "Beyond Good and Evil 2"'s decade-plus development hell and "Skull and Bones"' dismal market performance.
However, this negatively charged label was recently used publicly by an internal Ubisoft staff member, sparking a new wave of discussion.
According to observations from foreign media, Krasimira Yakovlieva, a producer who has worked at Ubisoft for nearly a decade, previously described herself on her LinkedIn profile as having "over 13 years of 4A development experience." She also listed "Assassin's Creed Shadows" and 2023's "Assassin's Creed Mirage" as 4A-tier titles. This information was discovered by the player community, quickly spread online, and drew significant skepticism.
Many players openly stated that neither the as-yet-unrevealed content of "Shadows" nor "Mirage"'s more streamlined design scope could genuinely be equated with the "4A" ultra-premium designation. The general consensus is that if these titles are indeed considered 4A, the only plausible explanation would be their massive production and marketing budgets, rather than substantial innovation or content volume.
Following the escalation of community discussion, Yakovlieva quietly removed all "4A"-related descriptions from her LinkedIn profile, further shrouding the incident in mystery.
It remains unclear whether this indicates that Ubisoft internally does not officially categorize "Shadows" and "Mirage" as 4A titles, or if the company simply recognized the PR risk associated with the term and opted for a low-key approach. Regardless of the truth, this incident once again highlights the long-standing trust issues between Ubisoft and its players, stemming from differing perceptions of "scale," "quality," and "expectations."
via： GamesRadar+