Assassin’s Creed is one of the most well-known game franchises today, but that doesn’t mean Ubisoft has been without error when making the Assassin’s Creed games. Ubisoft has recently made headlines for some executives believing that “women don’t sell” in video games, and that’s why the franchise’s most recent titles, Origins and Odyssey, had their narratives changed to move away from having main female protagonists.
As a way to counteract and challenge how Ubisoft has treated its female assassin characters, Kulpreet Virdi founded the Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood, a group dedicated to empowering women throughout the Assassin’s Creed community. In an interview with Game Rant, Virdi talked about all things Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood from its origins to what it hopes to accomplish in the future.
The Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood And its Goals
The Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood is meant to be a safe space for women in the Assassin’s Creed community, especially those who want to get involved but didn’t know where to start. The Sisterhood has two initiatives—create a “warm and inviting environment” for women gamers in the Assassin’s Creed community, and to celebrate the female characters found so far in the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
The AC Sisterhood is a “play on words” based on the Brotherhood, a term commonly used throughout the Assassin’s Creed series. Ultimately, the Sisterhood aims to unite fans of Assassin’s Creed while also calling attention to the way the games can be improved. For example, there's having a main female protagonist in a main Assassin’s Creed game. Odyssey provided a choice for players between Kassandra and Alexios, but there has still yet to be an only female main assassin installment in the series. It should also be noted that Alexios was only an option because of Ubisoft's preconceptions on the idea that "women don't sell."
Additionally, the Sisterhood is not meant to be an attack on Ubisoft either. Instead, it’s meant to hold the company accountable and show it that players expect more in its treatment of not only female characters, but employees as well. In fact, many devs within Ubisoft have come out in support of the movement by changing their headers and profile pictures, not to mention the inclusion of the AC Sisterhood logo as a tattoo in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Virdi said that seeing some devs support the movement “really, really makes all the difficulties that we’ve had with the Sisterhood and the trolls and things like that kind of worth it.”
The Sisterhood and its Obstacles
Though the Sisterhood was not formed to alienate or outcast anyone, there have still been some issues with people on the internet misunderstanding what the Sisterhood represents and stands for. What the Sisterhood does not aim to do is erase all male assassins, or claim that a female assassin should lead every new Assassin’s Creed game. It does, however, call attention to the mistreatment of, and even sexism against, women within the game and Ubisoft in hope for a better future where those situations don’t occur anymore.
Also, although the name is the AC Sisterhood, it wasn’t just designed with women in mind. It’s meant to uphold and celebrate women in gaming and in Assassin’s Creed, but anyone can be a member of the Sisterhood. Those who are part of the Sisterhood believe in maintaining a space for women that’s safe to discuss Assassin’s Creed without fear of being attacked or intentionally upset when saying that things need to change within the games.
Virdi is no stranger to the toxic side of the internet, with trolls coming out of the woodwork to critique the Sisterhood. Though it never gets easier to deal with them, according to Virdi, sometimes other members of the Sisterhood step in to explain the goals of the Sisterhood and why it was started in the first place. And sometimes, remarkably, education works.
"I've tried to educate people as to why we need the movement and what it stands for and there have been instances where, to that education piece, people have turned around and said "oh, okay, we understand that now, that's great.""
Where to Connect with the Sisterhood
Not too long ago, the Sisterhood conducted a fundraiser for Girls Make Games, selling pins with the Sisterhood logo to raise money for the cause. It went remarkably well, and they’re always looking to support other charities that help uplift women in the gaming industry. In the meantime, the Sisterhood seems to have a lot of upcoming projects planned, though Virdi couldn't share them yet—“...we have things planned and we’re really excited to share them when we can,” she said.
Before the announcement of these new projects, those wanting to get involved with the Sisterhood in the meantime can check out the Twitter, Instagram, Sisterhood Speaks podcast, and even join the Discord to chat with other Sisterhood members. When joining the Discord, fans should know that they’ll be put through a bit of a vetting process to make sure the space remains safe for everyone involved. For those interested, it's advised when posting on social media about the Sisterhood to use #ACSisterhood to keep the buzz alive for the cause, as this isn't something that's just for the time being:
"And some people have a misconception that once we get a lead female protagonist that it'll go away and that's not the case at all. The Sisterhood will be there to always highlight women and appreciate them and more importantly, be that safe space that they need."
The AC Sisterhood plans on being around for a long time to give a voice to all women in gaming, and that starts with keeping conversations going on social media. Additionally, educating rather than attacking those who question the Sisterhood and its conception goes a long way in making sure the movement thrives and flourishes. The Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood is only the beginning of the change these fans hope to see within Ubisoft and how women are treated in the gaming industry, especially the Assassin’s Creed universe and franchise. Those at home can share their support for the cause by following its different social media profiles and using the hashtag to garner more enthusiasm and support.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla releases on November 10 for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It releases on November 12 for PlayStation 5.
Credit: Original Assassin's Creed Sisterhood logo designed by Sebastian Dell'Aria