The Itate Hyozu Shrine in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture is taking action over Ubisoft’s usage of the religious site in the upcoming Assassins Creed Shadows, it’s been confirmed. On the other hand, rumors about Japan’s Association of Shinto Shrines taking action against Ubisoft have been debunked.
Last week, controversy was kicked up around a gameplay video from Assassin’s Creed Shadows that was shared around the beginning of February. In the video, it is shown that the player can enter Itate Hyozu Shrine (in-game location based on the real-life shrine of the same name) and destroy parts of it, including its altar and sacred objects, which caused mixed reactions.
Some users claimed that the shrine being destroyable was inherently disrespectful to Japanese religion and culture, while others argued that it was just part of making the player’s interaction with the world feel realistic. It may be worth noting here that ransacking the shrine is not part of game progression, as well as the fact that footage of its destruction was not used for promotion of the game.
Following the controversy, rumors started spreading that the shrine’s real-life officials were “furious” with Ubisoft and asking for Itate Hyozu’s removal from Shadows. However, there weren’t any credible sources nor official statements from the parties in question to verify the story. But on February 20, Japan’s Sankei News published statements by Itate Hyozu Shrine’s officials on the matter. According to the report, the shrine’s representatives are “taking appropriate action” regarding the portrayal of the religious site in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
When asked whether they had received prior notice from Ubisoft about the shrine’s use, Itate Hyozu’s official commented, “No, if they had contacted us, we would have refused.” The official did not provide details about what “taking appropriate action” entails, so it remains unclear whether they are asking for the shrine’s removal from the game, adjustments to what the player can do in it, or some other form of action.
In addition, rumors on social media also claimed that Japan’s Association of Shinto Shrines was “taking action” against Ubisoft, but this has been debunked by an official interviewed by The Sankei News.
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