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(Image credit: Ubisoft) Assassin's Creed Shadows has just launched, and it's even being discussed by Shigeru Ishiba, the Prime Minister of Japan. Shadows is set in feudal Japan during the Sengoku period. It's drawn the ire of a loud but small group of gamers who take issue with two things: the inclusion of the first Black samurai, Yasuke, a real historical figure, as one of the two protagonists, and that an Assassin's Creed Shadows preview showed players can damage sacred shrines in-game. Ubisoft put out a statement informing fans that it isn't intended to be 100% accurate, and that the series are "works of fiction inspired by real historical events and figures." You fistfight the Pope in the Vatican in the second game, so I don't know who was expecting a documentary instead of an action RPG. You may like Japanese officials "taking appropriate action" after viral Assassin's Creed Shadows video shows destruction of their shrine: "If they had asked us, we would have refused" Assassin's Creed Shadows' Japanese setting has been "very, very tricky" because Ubisoft wants to be "respectful" and "avoid telling a culture about their own culture" IGN reports (in collaboration with IGN Japan) that Prime Minister Ishiba has fielded concerns from Japanese officials over the game: "I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life," says Hiroyuki Kada, member of the House of Councillors of Japan. "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." The concern echoes old fears that games such as Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat would inspire players to commit acts of violence in real life, a topic that has been researched and debated for years now. The Prime Minister responds: "How to address this legally is something we need to discuss with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Defacing a shrine is out of the question - it is an insult to the nation itself. When the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Samawah, Iraq, we ensured they studied Islamic customs beforehand. Respecting the culture and religion of a country is fundamental, and we must make it clear that we will not simply accept acts that disregard them." Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. IGN Japan provides some much-needed context to the situation. Japan has seen a surge in tourism following the reopening of its borders after Covid lockdowns, and Kada has concerns about "over-tourism." The worry is that being able to deface shrines in-game will inspire copycats, something the Prime Minister says he will oppose if it happens. However, IGN notes that "the 'if' is doing a lot of heavy lifting." Ubisoft appears to be getting ahead of the issue by launching a day one patch, as reported by Automaton. This update will supposedly make certain objects in shrines indestructible and will also reduce the amount of visible blood that can be spilled in the premises. It will also reportedly remove blood when you attack an unarmed civilian NPC. It's unclear if this patch will be rolled out worldwide or is only for Japan, and it will be interesting to see if the same crowd who were upset by the game's original features will now be annoyed about censorship instead. Assassin's Creed Shadows launches today, and if you want to know what else is coming out, have a look at our list of all the new games of 2025. See more PS5 News Xbox Series X PlayStation Issy van der Velde Social Links Navigation Contributor I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Japanese officials "taking appropriate action" after viral Assassin's Creed Shadows video shows destruction of their shrine: "If they had asked us, we would have refused" Assassin's Creed Shadows' Japanese setting has been "very, very tricky" because Ubisoft wants to be "respectful" and "avoid telling a culture about their own culture" Assassin's Creed Shadows censored to comply with Japanese ratings, almost 1 year after an EA exec complained Stellar Blade got away with what the Dead Space remake didn't Assassin's Creed Shadows director defends Yasuke's inclusion in the game from "noise online": "We know why Yasuke is in the game, we know how he fits" Assassin's Creed Shadows parody game satirizes complaints about historical accuracy by giving Yasuke an assault rifle and sports car Freerunning experts reckon Assassin's Creed Shadows' Yasuke probably has very bad knees due to his poor climbing etiquette and "crimes against Parkour" Latest in Action RPGs Assassin's Creed Shadows draws attention of Japan's Prime Minister, who says "defacing a shrine is out of the question" in real life, but politicians acknowledge "freedom of expression must be respected" in the game Blizzard came up with Diablo 4's most powerful item modifiers at the last minute: "Literally, we had 2 weeks left in the development schedule" Monster Hunter Wilds beat Monster Hunter World, Capcom's previous defining mega-hit, by 40% in US launch month sales With lots of loot and focused levels and missions, Soulslike RPG The First Berserker: Khazan is giving me all the right Nioh vibes: "Players aren't required to grind to farm for decent items and make progress" Monster Hunter Wilds' new event quests give you an even better way to farm Decorations, and a brand new headpiece Monster Hunter Wilds director joined an online hunt in the new action RPG himself "only to promptly cart before anyone else" did: "I feel bad about that" Latest in News Assassin's Creed Shadows draws attention of Japan's Prime Minister, who says "defacing a shrine is out of the question" in real life, but politicians acknowledge "freedom of expression must be respected" in the game Unearthed Daredevil-like fight scene from DC's canceled Batgirl movie gives us a taste of what we could have had Samuel L. 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