LogInBlatant disrespect or Ubisoft's hallmark?
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows marks one month until its official launch on March 20 by finding itself a subject of yet another controversy, this time revolving around a viral scene portraying Yasuke destroying the interior of Itatehyozu Shrine – a functional religious site in Himeji, Japan – from Skatha's 50-minute gameplay video.
While this particular debacle has been raging for nearly a month now, it was confined to the internet until recently, with no noticeable impact on the real world. Lately, however, it spilled out of the digital space and into reality when Japanese news outlet The Sankei Shimbun directly questioned representatives of Itatehyozu Shrine about their opinion on the scene in question.
As reported by Sankei, the shrine officials expressed strong disapproval of the destruction of their temple's digital replica, stating that had Ubisoft contacted them about including the shrine in Assassin's Creed Shadows, they would have refused.
Additionally, the officials mentioned they would "take appropriate action" in response, although it remains unclear whether this "appropriate action" involves requesting the shrine's removal from the game, disabling the game's destructible elements within the shrine's premises, seeking monetary compensation for its use, or something else entirely.
In response to Sankei's article, the Itatehyozu Shrine controversy has been reinvigorated, with both sides of the conflict taking to the internet to defend their viewpoints.
Some argue that the ability – and, at times, the necessity to complete the game – to desecrate religious sites and assault religious figures has been Ubisoft's hallmark since the early days of the Assassin's Creed series, pointing to examples such as Ezio attacking the Pope inside the Vatican in AC2, the ability to wreak havoc inside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Unity, and the pillaging of Catholic churches in Valhalla.
The opposing side finds this argument unconvincing, stating that the earlier games didn't feature nearly as much destructibility as Shadows does and questioning why the example of previous games, which allowed for the desecration of Christian religious sites, should calm down a displeased Japanese audience – located on the other side of the globe and practicing Shintoism.
Ubisoft
Regardless of where you stand, it's hard to deny that at this point, Ubisoft has completely lost the goodwill of the vast majority of their Japanese fans, who, as we can see from the kerfuffle this article is dedicated to, are no longer willing to give the studio the benefit of the doubt.
Most likely, Ubisoft didn't mean any disrespect by the inclusion of a destructible Itatehyozu Shrine, and yes, there is validity in the argument that the potential desecration depends solely on the player's actions, however, none of that seems to matter much, given the weight of previous controversies – such as the use of the Japanese historical reenactment group's flag and an octagonal lantern from Todaiji Temple without permission, a figurine depicting a broken torii gate that many found insensitive, the official launch being moved after two delays to the date marking the 30th anniversary of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, numerous questionable elements from the recently leaked art book, and Ubisoft's controversial depiction of certain historical and cultural aspects in Shadows.
Given that Ubisoft's very existence seems to depend on the success of their upcoming Assassin's Creed title, it's interesting to consider how their strained relationship with the gaming community in the country serving as the game's setting might affect final sales. What will ultimately be more determining – a wagon of controversies or the recognizability and prestige of the Assassin's Creed name? Tell us in the comments!
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