Japan demands respect.
Funny how it feels like just a few short weeks ago we were receiving reassurances from Ubisoft themselves that Japan didn't have any issues or concerns with their latest take on the history of their country. Fast forward a bit and now we hear that Ubisoft has announced a release-day patch for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, making shrine shelves indestructible and eliminating civilian bloodshed. This decision comes after a lot of controversy surrounding gameplay footage, where players were able to destroy shrine altars and attack civilians in sacred locations.
The update, scheduled to go live on launch (March 20, 2025) aims to address concerns raised by Japanese government officials and players themselves as shrine representatives were displeased with the game’s original depiction of destruction in religious settings.
This in itself has divided the gaming community into two camps - one, it's a game, who cares... and two - respect Japanese culture. To be honest, I see where both are coming from and there is a lot of nuance to this convo for sure...
A Response to Cultural Sensitivities
Since its announcement, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has been under a tremendous amount of scrutiny, particularly from YouTubers and Japanese players regarding the game's historical accuracy and character choices. One of the game’s protagonists, Yasuke, is being depicted as an African samurai, which has sparked seriously strong and heated debates about historical accuracy on that alone. Especially after it was discovered that Thomas Lockley was being used as the main source for intel, and he himself was allegedly pushing his own invented narrative to... sell his book.
However, now, the most recent backlash stems from some original footage showing Yasuke rampaging through a shrine, damaging structures and harming civilians. Something that a 'Samurai' would never do, and if they did, would face severe punishments. The game doesn't take any of this into account, and as a result, social media had erupted with criticism, and even a representative from Sosha Itatehyōsu Shrine in Harima Province—which the in-game location is reportedly based on—expressed disapproval, stating that Ubisoft never contacted them for permission. I covered this in a previous livestream if you want more information on that:
The Patch Details
Ubisoft's patch addresses these concerns by implementing two significant changes:
Shrine objects, such as tables and shelves, will now be indestructible. This prevents players from damaging sacred structures in the game.
Civilian bloodshed will be removed. While it will still be possible to attack unarmed NPCs, blood effects have been disabled in temples and shrines, reducing the visual impact of violent acts in these locations.
These changes tell me that Ubisoft is at least TRYING to take steps to respect cultural and religious sensitivities while still maintaining Assassin’s Creed’s hallmark of open-ended gameplay...
Balancing Freedom and Respect
Being an open-world game, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows was originally designed to allow player freedom, including engaging in actions that are... not necessarily tied to the main story. Previous titles in the franchise have similarly allowed civilian interactions and object destruction. However, the ability to destroy sacred sites and cause harm in religious spaces here specifically had proven way too controversial for many, particularly in Japan, where respect for shrines and temples is deeply ingrained in cultural values. I posted a poll on X to see where the community stood overall on this issue:
While some may view this patch as 'censorship' or a limitation on gameplay (which, believe me, I totally get it), it’s clear that Ubisoft is at least trying to strike a balance between creative freedom and cultural respect. By removing unnecessary elements that could be seen as disrespectful, the developers aim to ensure that the game can be enjoyed by both international and Japanese audiences without even more controversy.
A Necessary Adjustment?
Whether this decision is seen as a step in the right direction or an unnecessary compromise will largely depend on player perspectives. While obviously people for the most part understand the importance of cultural respect, the take that games should not be restricted by real-world sensitivities is one to always keep in mind as well. Regardless, this patch happening here highlights a growing importance of cultural considerations in game development, especially as the industry continues to expand into global markets.
Ubisoft’s decision to preemptively address the controversy rather than letting it escalate post-launch suggests a more proactive approach to cultural sensitivity... Or, let's be real here - that they were starting to really feel the pressures from the Japanese Diet having multiple discussions around it. As the industry evolves, I'd expect to see more developers take preventative measures to avoid unnecessary backlash, particularly when dealing with historical and culturally significant settings. If the game is trying to go for historical accuracy, they need to do better. If it's a game like Yasuke Simulator... well then, give me my guns and BMW, because all bets are off.
For more details, you can read the original report from Automaton Media here.
~Smash
