Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was supposed to feature a female-only protagonist until the idea was nixed by disgraced former Ubisoft executive Serge Hascoët, a new report suggests.
Bloomberg alleges that rather than providing the choice between Kassandra and her brother Alexios, Odyssey was first pitched as a game with Kassandra as the lead. Hascoët, who has now left Ubisoft as the result of a host of allegations of sexual abuse, quashed the idea saying that “women don’t sell” video games.
“Among many details I learned while reporting this piece: the developers of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey wanted Kassandra to be the only playable lead, but Ubisoft’s marketing team and creative lead Serge Hascoët wouldn’t allow it,” Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier summarised. “Women don’t sell, they said.”
While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla provides players the chance to play as a male or female lead, it changes things up by allowing the opportunity to change gender at any time in a playthrough.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is available now on Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4; Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be available on Windows PC via Uplay & Epic Games Store, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5 and Stadia where available. Its current-gen release date is set for 17 November.
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