Assassin's Creed Shadows has stirred controversy in Japan due to the in-game destruction of a sacred shrine. In gameplay footage, the character Yasuke is seen demolishing the Itate Hyozu Shrine, sparking backlash from shrine representatives who found the depiction disrespectful to Japanese cultural traditions. The officials now plan to take legal action against Ubisoft, accusing the developer of insensitivity. Despite the mounting criticism, Ubisoft has not yet responded to the issue, and the game remains set for its March 20, 2025 release.
Representatives at the shrine voiced their worries because they found the shrine's destruction offensive to Japanese cultural traditions. The Japanese publication Sankai News revealed that shrine officials intend to initiate legal measures against the video game. The video game developer Ubisoft has failed to address this specific situation.
The Itate Hyozu Shrine representative stated that Ubisoft failed to contact them before featuring the sacred location in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The representative at Itate Hyozu Shrine declared that they would not have granted permission even if contacted by Ubisoft.
The confusion about 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' deepened because Ubisoft never received approval from officials at Itate Hyozu Shrine. The shrine representatives failed to provide details regarding their planned "appropriate action" as the controversy around this issue continues to grow.
Shrine destruction in Assassin's Creed Shadows has sparked fierce disagreement among gamers. Players have differing opinions about sacred site destruction within the game since they believe this practice should not exist in present-day gaming culture.
According to many reviewers, the player controls all character decisions. The game's supporters mention that religious site destruction already exists in the Assassin's Creed franchise after the pope fight during Assassin's Creed II.
The upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows launch makes Ubisoft stick to its original release schedule. The game developers maintain its initial release date for March 20, 2025. The pre-order counts for Assassin's Creed Odyssey appear similar to this game which shows that the ongoing controversy has not resulted in reduced anticipated success. Ubisoft remains silent about the shrine destruction situation and proceeds forward with its release plans.