As with modern gaming methods, owners of Assassin’s Creed Shadows can expect one patch per day, but not all changes expect.
In the patch notes, one of the changes that appears in the Assassin’s Creed Shadow Activation Patch via IGN prevents players from damaging temples and shrine tables and racks, reducing blood splatters attack non-armored NPCs, preventing those sacred sites from being covered with blood.
According to Ubisoft, these changes have come to all players and are not unique to Japan. Japan has faced criticism over blood censorship before, and shadows are no exception.
However, given that the game has already sparked its own round of controversy in Japan, these changes are probably a reaction to it, as the Japanese Prime Minister has been attracting attention from Prime Minister Isba.
Why are they changing shrines?
Earlier this year, a video of Yasuke’s playable characters destroying the shrine of Itatehyoz, a real-life location in Himeji prefecture in southern Japan.
Another Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors, Professor Kawato, is working on the subject of players destroying Japanese holy sites, and is worried that it can promote real-world imitation.
I fear that by allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission, they can promote 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 permitted, but that they are not at the expense of allowing them to “mitigate local culture.”
Prime Minister Isba explained and agreed that the shrine would deflect “from the problem” and “shaming on the nation itself.”
One patch on this day seems obvious like a response to their concerns, limiting the player’s ability to replicate the vandalism depicted in the original video.
Ubisoft points out that certain elements of shrines and temples are still destructible. Common objects, such as drums and tables, can break regardless of where they are, and tables are dynamic objects that move around.
The Day-One patch includes many other bug fixes and changes, including fixes for clipping issues in Yasuke and Naoe costumes, lighting adjustments, and improved horse navigation.
