IGN has confirmed Ubisoft has discreetly prepared a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, implementing several important adjustments including modifications to temples and shrines.
Ubisoft provided IGN with the patch notes for this update, confirming these details were not part of any public announcement.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Day-One Patch Notes
This update introduces various improvements and fixes, such as:
Players will no longer become stuck inside movable objects after dodging forward and interacting with them in kofuns. A fix has been applied for procedural weapons being incorrectly removed when selling items. Adjustments prevent players from exiting bounds when lying prone against objects. Horse navigation has been improved, reducing turning issues and obstructions on paths. Lighting has been refined at cave, kofun, and architectural entrances and exits. Cloth clipping issues have been resolved for Yasuke’s outfits (while riding) and Naoe’s outfits (while crouching). Unarmed citizens no longer bleed when attacked, minimizing unintended blood effects in temples and shrines. Tables and racks within temples and shrines are now indestructible (generic objects like drums or bowls can still be broken as they appear throughout the game world) (Tables remain dynamic, allowing players to move or push them).
A notable change involves tables and racks in temples and shrines, which are now indestructible in this Feudal Japan-set game. Ubisoft clarified to IGN that the day-one patch applies to all players globally, not only in Japan. However, this specific adjustment appears to be a direct response to the controversy the game has stirred within the country.
On March 19, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addressed a question regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows during an official government conference.
The question was posed by Hiroyuki Kada, a Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors, who is campaigning for re-election this summer. Kada expressed:
“I am concerned that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without authorization might encourage similar actions in reality. Shrine officials and local residents share these worries. While freedom of expression should be respected, acts that belittle local cultures should be avoided.”
Prime Minister Ishiba responded:
“Addressing this legally requires consultation 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 unacceptable—it insults the nation itself. When the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Samawah, Iraq, we ensured they studied Islamic customs in advance. Respecting a country’s culture and religion is fundamental, and we must clearly state that we will not tolerate actions that disregard this respect.”
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The shrine depicted as “defaced” in pre-release Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay footage is Itatehyozu Shrine in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, located within Kada’s constituency. He stated that he consulted shrine representatives, who confirmed Ubisoft did not seek permission to feature the shrine or use its name in the game.
While Masaki Ogushi, Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, indicated that government agencies would collaborate if the shrine seeks consultation, under Japanese constitutional law, Ubisoft would likely be legally clear to include the shrine as part of artistic expression.
The responses from both ministers were somewhat vague and seem unlikely to lead to concrete actions, especially as Ubisoft appears to have preemptively addressed these concerns with the day-one patch.
Based on IGN’s testing, the patch does not yet appear to be active in the game.
Regardless of the game's reception in Japan, there is significant pressure for Assassin's Creed Shadows to perform well globally for Ubisoft, especially following delays and the commercial disappointment of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced several high-profile failures, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to this release.
IGN’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows review scored the game 8/10, stating: “By refining its established systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers one of the finest iterations of the open-world formula it has been perfecting over the past decade.”
