Asssassin's Creed Shadows Day-One Patch Will Prevent Vandalism Of Shrines And Temples

As is the way of modern gaming, owners of Assassin’s Creed Shadows can expect a day-one patch, but not every change is something they may be expecting.

In the patch notes, via IGN, one of the changes coming in the launch patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will prevent players from damaging tables and racks in temples and shrines, as well as reducing blood splatter from attacking unarmed NPCs to prevent those holy sites from getting covered in blood.

According to Ubisoft, these changes are coming for all players and are not specific to Japan, where the series has faced criticism over censorship of blood before, and Shadows is no exception.

However, considering that the game has already sparked its own round of controversy in Japan, even drawing attention from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, these changes are likely a response to that.

Why Are They Changing The Shrines?

Earlier this year, a video surfaced of playable character Yasuke destroying Itatehyozu Shrine, a real-life location in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in southern Japan.

Another Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors, Hiroyuki Kada, addressed the subject of players vandalizing holy sites in Japan, worrying that it could encourage real-world copycats.

I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life. Shrine officials and local residents are also worried about this.

He goes on to say that freedom of expression should be allowed, but not at the expense of allowing them to “demean local cultures.”

Prime Minister Ishiba agreed, describing the defacing of a shrine as “out of the question” and “an insult to the nation itself.”

An Education quest walkthrough Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: An Education Walkthrough

This guide covers the An Education main quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

This day-one patch seems pretty clearly like a response to their concerns, limiting players’ ability to replicate the vandalism depicted in the original video.

Ubisoft notes that certain elements in shrines and temples will still be destructible; generic objects like drums and tables can still be broken regardless of where they’re located, and tables are still dynamic objects that can be moved around.

The day-one patch includes a number of other bug fixes and changes, such as fixing clipping issues in Yasuke and Naoe’s outfits, making lighting adjustments, and improving horse navigation.