The day-one patch from Ubisoft for Assassin’s Creed Shadows seems to remove certain controversial content regarding religious shrines. This decision follows early gameplay showing Yasuke, the main character, destroying a shrine that received online criticism from Japanese politicians alongside angry social media reactions. There were two main concerns about how such in-game behavior could happen in real life as well, which might also offend religious sites.

In this Assassin's Creed Shadows day-one patch, the Shrine-specific objects, including tables and racks, are now indestructible, yet minor items, such as drums or bowls, remain breakable. The game software disables the bleeding effects for non-armed NPCs within sacred spaces to minimize the violent elements in those zones. The update also introduces changes that resolve player sensibilities while staying faithful to the base gameplay mechanics.

During an interview, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba characterized the destruction of shrines as an offense against the nation. Ubisoft pushed forward a universal version of the update to all regions instead of confining it to a Japan-specific release.

The public feedback of Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been mostly favourable due to its successful portrayal of an authentic historical setting. The voice actor Masumi, who performs Naoe, emphasized that the game handled Japanese cultural traditions respectfully by showing the tea ceremony.

FAQs

What specific content was removed in the Assassin's Creed Shadows Day-one patch?

Shrine tables and racks became indestructible through the patch, while NPCs in sacred areas would no longer bleed when they did not use weapons.

Why did Ubisoft implement these changes?

The developers made these changes to prevent cultural disrespect and future cases of real-life damage stemming from in-game behavior.

Are these changes limited to the Japanese version?

The game patch applies its updates to every version of the game that exists worldwide.

Has the game been well-received despite the controversy?

The majority of critics praised Assassin's Creed Shadows because it presents a captivating environment that authentically represents Japanese history.