Part 2/9:
The core of the protests stemmed from the community's fatigue with the frequent insertion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agendas into beloved franchises. Many players felt that the decision to cast a black man as the protagonist in a historically-focused game set in feudal Japan was unnecessary and distracting. Critical voices argued for a more authentic representation—namely, a Japanese protagonist within a traditional Japanese setting—rather than the perceived push for social politics that didn't align with the game's historical context.