Sony’s recent State of Play had a surprising ending. Sucker Punch, the developer behind Ghost of Tsushima, sucker punched fans of the 2020 Game of the Year contender with a teaser for a sequel that isn’t a direct continuation of Jin Sakai’s story. In a bold move, the visually stunning trailer revealed a new hero with the iconic Ghost mask, announcing Ghost of Yotei, set in 1603 Japan. The game doesn’t have a release date, though Sucker Punch teased a 2025 platform-exclusive release.
However, the biggest surprise was the revelation of a new protagonist: a female Samurai named Atsu. The change has already sparked widespread controversy, as fans were blindsided by the decision to move away from Jin Sakai’s story.
Many fans of the original game already feel disconnected from the upcoming title as they hoped for a direct continuation of the original story. However, Sucker Punch explained their new take with a statement that reads, “We also wanted to continue to innovate. To create something fresh but familiar, we looked beyond Jin Sakai’s story and the island of Tsushima and shifted our focus to the idea of the Ghost instead. At Sucker Punch, we love origin stories, and we wanted to explore what it could mean to have a new hero wearing a Ghost mask, and uncovering a new legend. This led us to Ghost of Yōtei: a new protagonist, a new story to unfold, and a new region of Japan to explore.”
Adding further to the controversy is the actress behind the voice of Atsu in Ghost of Yotei. Erika Ishii is an established name in behind-the-scenes of the video gaming industry since she has voiced some iconic characters such as Anastasia Bray in Destiny 2, and Valkyrie in Apex Legends. Ishii is also the voice of Rook in BioWare’s highly anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard, among many other credits.
With that said, Ishii openly identifies as queer and genderfluid. Ishii a history of supporting LGBTQ+ causes, including The Trevor Project. Now there is a concern lingering that the new Ghost may push a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda, similar to the character Rook in Dragon Age: The Veilguard or the fact that Valkyrie is the first confirmed lesbian character in Apex Legends. Nevertheless, no further details are available on the hero and the game overall, which leaves plenty of room for speculation.
On the other hand, as Sucker Punch leaves Jin’s lore behind, his legacy will certainly live on. Obviously, he has turned into an iconic figure in Sucker Punch’s version of Japan and his Ghost mantle lives on.
This can be similar to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, where legacy is continued with all new protagonists, including female assassins such as Evie Frye in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and now Naoe in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. There are a few more names in the series that became bigger than the company behind it, carrying it through years of questionable decisions and releases.
With that said, Ubisoft has faced backlash for its controversial pitch for the upcoming and delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Sucker Punch seems interested in shaping the Ghost franchise into the next Assassin’s Creed and needs to take valuable lessons from Ubisoft’s approach in evolving the franchise.
This means that Sucker Punch needs to address the legacy of the original character, if the main pitch is to continue the Ghost story with new and diverse protagonists, whether male or female. Jin Sakai’s story and Ghost of Tsushima overall is a tragic masterpiece. The success of the first game isn’t reflected just in stunning visuals and gameplay, but the main selling point was staying true to the core of the story the game was based on.
