Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad, globally released less than a week ago, is already under fire. Publisher Ubisoft has apologized to fans and said they will change some symbols and icons within the game.
As reported by The Verge, Ubisoft has faced criticism because of Umbra, the main antagonists, and their symbol: a raised black fist. In particular, critics have called out Ubisoft for their negative depiction of the symbol as Umbra is considered a violent group whose main goal is anarchy.
Many critics have rightfully noted that this symbol is deeply entangled with Black Lives Matter. Whereas Black Lives Matter advocates for racial and social justice, Umbra is depicted as simply anarchistic and violence mongering. The connection by the raised black fist causes alarm as it “appear[s] to cast the Black Lives Matter movement as a terrorist group.”
In a tweet from Ubisoft’s official channel, they apologized for this portrayal and vowed fix it as soon as possible: “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… 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.”
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