An Assassin’s Creed Shadows figure made by PureArts has been pulled from sale due to an “insensitive design,” the manufacturer said. This turn of events adds to the recent string of controversies surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows.PureArts is a Canadian collectible manufacturer that has been making figurines, maps, artbooks, and other types of merch since 2008. It has frequently collaborated with Ubisoft, having licensed a variety of the company’s franchises in the past. As part of these efforts, PureArts released multiple Assassin’s Creed statues and figures based on everything from the first entry in the franchise to AC Valhalla. On September 19, the company announced another such offering in the form of a 6-inch statue of Naoe and Yasuke from AC Shadows, which was meant to expand its Qlectors lineup of PVC collectibles. Related The Next 5 Years Sound Super Busy for Assassin's Creed Fans An industry insider outlines Ubisoft’s purported plans for the next five years of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, which sound super busy.3 But the figure was pulled from sale less than a month later, with the manufacturer citing an “insensitive design” as the reason for its decision. “We appreciate and have learned from the concerns brought to our attention, and we apologize for the harm this caused,” PureArts wrote in an October 15 statement. The company added that it’s currently in the process of redesigning the collectible and that it hasn’t canceled any pre-orders. Instead, Assassin’s Creed Shadows fans who placed an advanced order on the figure will soon hear back from PureArts, presumably because the group will give them a choice between accepting the new design or canceling their purchase manually. Why Is the Design of PureArts' Assassin's Creed Shadows Yasuke and Naoe Figure Insensitive? The social media reactions to the figure’s original announcement and PureArts’ own statement on the matter suggest that the collectible’s design was deemed insensitive due to its depiction of a torn Torii gate that only has a single crooked leg left standing, with Naoe crouching on top of it. Torii gates are significant symbols in Japanese culture and religion, used to mark entrances to sacred spaces like Shinto shrines. Therefore, a $70 collectible of a desecrated Torii gate can be seen as culturally insensitive and deeply disrespectful. Some social media users have likened this figure to selling a statue of a church cut in half.We appreciate and have learned from the concerns brought to our attention, and we apologize for the harm this caused. PureArts hasn’t yet said when it intends to reveal its revised design for the 6-inch statue. The new version of the collectible will presumably be unveiled before Assassin’s Creed Shadows hits the market on February 14, 2025. Close This turn of events is not the first occasion on which the upcoming game faced accusations of being culturally insensitive. Back in July 2024, Assassin’s Creed Shadows developers addressed criticism from Japanese fans and defended their decision to depict Yasuke, who is based on a real historical person, as a samurai warrior. Shortly beforehand, Ubisoft apologized to the Sekigahara Teppo-tai reenacment group for accidentally using its banner in some AC Shadows promotional materials.