Japanese Authorities Take Action for Assassin’s Creed Shadows

While Assassin’s Creed Shadows draws attention with its story set in feudal Japan, it has become the center of controversy due to the Itate Hyozu Temple being included in the game as a destructible location. Officials of the temple in Hyogo Prefecture announced that Ubisoft added the temple to the game without their permission and that they will take “appropriate legal steps” for this reason. Ubisoft has yet to make a statement on the subject.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows and the Temple Debate

The controversy began when a video of a player causing destruction in a temple went viral. In the video, Yasuke, one of the game’s characters, is seen entering the temple and destroying various objects and an altar in the room. Although players are not required to perform this action, the fact that the temple is designed as a destructible location was considered disrespectful by Japanese authorities.

Temple officials stated that Ubisoft did not ask for permission to use the temple in the game and that they would have definitely refused if permission had been given. Although the Assassin’s Creed series is known for including historical events and religious places in its games, it has often encountered such discussions.

The Assassin’s Creed series is no stranger to such discussions with its structure dealing with historical fiction and religious themes. Previous games have dealt with religious institutions and figures such as the Catholic Church, and the inclusion of Pope Alexander VI in the story in Assassin’s Creed 2 in particular has sparked controversy. However, Ubisoft has always emphasized that the historical fiction of the series is a fiction inspired by real events.

Japanese officials and cultural representatives, on the other hand, state that the inclusion of the temple in the game in this way is disrespectful to religious and cultural values. How Ubisoft will respond to this issue and its effects on Assassin’s Creed Shadows are eagerly awaited.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to be released on March 20, 2025. The game draws attention with its story set in feudal Japan and its open world features. However, the cultural debates surrounding the game raise questions about how Ubisoft will handle this situation.

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