Earlier this week during Sony's State of Play, the company unveiled Ghost of Yotei, the highly anticipated sequel to the celebrated Ghost of Tsushima. However, unlike its predecessor, Ghost of Yotei shifts the narrative forward by several centuries and introduces a new female ronin named Atsu, who has embraced Jin Sakai's Ghost persona as her own. Predictably, Atsu's introduction has already ignited controversy among gamers who are reluctant to play as a heroine. This backlash prompted a direct response from former Sony executive Shawn Layden.
Layden, who previously served as the chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, addressed a complaint about Atsu on X. His response was straightforward: "It's a game. If you don't like it, don't buy it." It seems both peculiar and regressive that placing Atsu in the lead role is perceived by some players as a challenge to their vision of what gaming should entail. Historically, Japan-centric video games have featured numerous heroines, such as in the similarly themed Tenchu: Fatal Shadows and Red Ninja: End of Honor. Moreover, the fact that Atsu takes on the Ghost role in this game does not preclude another character from assuming it in future sequels.
Sony and developer Sucker Punch Productions have yet to release any gameplay trailers for Ghost of Yotei, but the game is slated for release on PlayStation 5 in 2025.
