Earlier this week during Sony’s State of Play, the company announced Ghost of Yotei, the first sequel to the acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. But instead of continuing the story of Jin Sakai, Ghost of Yotei jumps ahead a few centuries and introduces a new female ronin named Atsu, who has adopted Jin’s Ghost persona as her own. Somewhat predictably, Atsu’s very existence has already sparked a backlash from gamers who don’t want to play as a heroine. That led to a direct response from ex-Sony executive Shawn Layden.
Layden, who was the former chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, reacted to a post on X that complained about Atsu. Layden’s reply was simple: “It’s a game. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”
1 It’s a game. An entertainment. A story a team of creators believes in. They want to make this.
2 it’s a game. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. In fact, why not make the game you want yourself?
— shawn layden 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇺🇸🇯🇵 (@ShawnLayden) September 25, 2024
It does seem odd and regressive that simply placing Atsu in the leading role is seen by a few players as some sort of affront to their idea of what gaming should be. There have been plenty of heroines in the history of Japan-centric video games, including the similarly themed Tenchu: Fatal Shadows and Red Ninja: End of Honor. And just because Atsu is the Ghost in this game doesn’t mean that another character can’t assume the role in any potential sequel that emerges.
Sony and developer Sucker Punch Productions haven’t released any gameplay trailers for Ghost of Yotei yet, but the game is expected to hit PlayStation 5 in 2025.
