Ubisoft responds to Japan government backlash over Assassin's Creed Shadows being disrespectful

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you.

The release of Assassin's Creed Shadows has reached the Japanese government, which expressed deep concerns about its contents and how it may translate to events in real life.

Members of Japan's government brought up Ubisoft's recently released Assassin's Creed Shadows in parliament, saying some of the game's contents are disrespectful to Japan's culture and heritage. Officials specifically pointed out how players can destroy sacred religious shrines within the game and how villagers within these shrines can be slaughtered by players.

Additionally, officials pointed out how Ubisoft didn't obtain permission from the organizations and relevant regulatory bodies to put the shrines/landmarks in the game, claiming Ubisoft took them without permission. Ubisoft has now addressed some of these concerns by Japan's government in a day-one update, which now makes the relevant religious items within sacred shrines totally indestructible.

Additionally, the update makes citizens without weapons no longer bleed when attacked by players, which is intended to reduce the amount of blood spilled within sacred shrines. Japan's government officials expressed concerns that enabling players to perform these acts within Assassin's Creed Shadows would inspire tourists to carry them out in real life. These concerns about shrine safety come amid a massive influx of tourism into Japan due to the yen being low and Japan opening up its borders following the pandemic.

• Read more: Japan's prime minister is mad about Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows day-one patch notes:

This update brings various improvements and fixes, including:

• Players no longer getting stuck inside movable objects after dodging forward and interacting with them in kofuns
• Fix for procedural weapons being removed incorrectly when selling items
• Adjustments to prevent players from going out of bounds when proning against objects
• Improved horse navigation, reducing issues with turning and blocked paths
• Lighting adjustments for cave, kofun, and architectural entrances/exits
• Fixes for cloth clipping on Yasuke's outfits (while riding) and Naoe's outfits (while crouching)
• Citizens without weapons no longer bleed when attacked, reducing unintended blood spill in temples/shrines
• Tables and racks in temples/shrines are now indestructible (Some objects like drums or bowls can still be broken as they are generic ones present everywhere in the world) (Tables are still dynamic objects, so players can still move/push them).