Amid Japan Concern About Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft Confirms Day-One Patch That Makes Tables and Racks in Temples and Shrines Indestructible

Ubisoft has quietly released a day-one patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows, addressing several key issues, particularly concerning the depiction of temples and shrines. IGN obtained the patch notes, which were not publicly announced by Ubisoft.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Day-One Patch Notes

This update includes various improvements and fixes:

• Resolved an issue where players could become stuck inside movable objects after dodging and interacting within kofuns.
• Fixed a bug causing procedural weapons to be incorrectly removed when selling items.
• Implemented adjustments to prevent players from exploiting boundaries while proning against objects.
• Improved horse navigation, reducing issues with turning and path obstructions.
• Adjusted lighting in caves, kofuns, and architectural entrances/exits.
• Addressed cloth clipping issues affecting Yasuke's outfits (while riding) and Naoe's outfits (while crouching).
• Non-weapon-wielding citizens no longer bleed when attacked, minimizing unintended blood splatter in temples and shrines.
• Tables and racks within temples and shrines are now indestructible. (Note: Other objects like drums or bowls, being generic world objects, remain breakable. Tables retain their dynamic properties and can still be moved/pushed.)

The most significant change involves making tables and racks in temples and shrines indestructible. While Ubisoft confirmed this patch applies to all players, not just those in Japan, the timing suggests a response to recent controversy.

On March 19th, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addressed concerns about Assassin's Creed Shadows during a government conference. Responding to a question from Hiroyuki Kada, a Japanese politician, Ishiba acknowledged concerns about the potential for in-game actions to influence real-world behavior, particularly regarding the depiction of shrines. He emphasized the importance of respecting local cultures and religions.

The specific shrine depicted in pre-release footage is Itatehyozu Shrine in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. Representative of the shrine confirmed that Ubisoft did not seek permission to use its likeness or name in the game. While government responses were somewhat vague, suggesting potential collaboration between ministries if the shrine sought consultation, Ubisoft's proactive patch likely mitigates legal concerns under Japanese law regarding artistic expression.

The patch is not yet live according to IGN's testing. Regardless of its Japanese reception, Assassin's Creed Shadows faces significant pressure to perform well globally for Ubisoft, following delays and the poor sales of Star Wars Outlaws and other recent setbacks.

IGN awarded Assassin's Creed Shadows an 8/10 in its review, praising its refined open-world gameplay.

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