Summary
Amid concerns over the sanctity of Japanese shrines, publisherUbisofthas instituted a day-one patch forAssassin’s Creed Shadowsthat makes it impossible to deface the historical landmarks in any manner.
As first spotted by IGN, the day-one patch has instituted several important changes into the game. For starters, it is no longer possible to destroy tables and racks in shrines or temples. Additionally, unarmed civilians will no longer bleed when attacked, thus preventing any potential instance of blood spilling in a sacred area.
The patch, which is now live, will impact all players, and not just those from Japan, according to Ubisoft. Additionally,according to Eurogamer, Ubisoft says it will not be highlighting the patch publicly, though the changes being reported are accurate.
The Sanctity Of Shrines Was A Hot Topic
The changes come in response to concerns raised by Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors, Hiroyuki Kada.According to IGN, Kada highlighted the potential for copycats to deface real-life shrines if the behavior in-game was possible.
“I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life,” he said. “Shrine officials and local residents are also worried about this. Of course, freedom of expression must be respected, but acts that demean local cultures should be avoided.”
Shigeru Ishiba, the prime minister of Japan, responded, noting that it was an issue that needed to be raised with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, he was also quick to note that any type of defacing would not be tolerated whatsoever.
“Defacing a shrine is out of the question - it is an insult to the nation itself,” he said.
The day-one patch seemingly addressed those concerns before they had a chance to be raised further, and certainly before anyone could have filmed any shrine defacement.
