Ubisoft has quietly updated Assassin’s Creed Shadows with a day one patch that includes changes to how players can interact with objects within the game’s shrine locations.
The change is minor, but notable as it follows attention on the game raised by Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada, who was upset at preview footage of the game featuring a player crashing around a local shrine within Shadows (thanks, IGN).
At launch, major items in Shadows’ shrines are no longer destructible. Ubisoft appears to have released the patch alongside the game’s release last night, meaning players will already have it installed.
Yesterday, Kada flagged the situation again, to get a response from the country’s prime minister. The following exchange comes via IGN, with translation by IGN Japan colleagues.
“I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life,” Kada 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.”