Naoe Actor Expresses Concern Over Shrine Destruction in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows has been successful for Ubisoft, but the feudal Japan-set game has faced several controversies before release. Masumi Tsunoda, who plays the character Naoe, recently shared her discomfort about how the game initially allowed players to damage sacred shrines.

The game has weathered various criticisms, including debates about the historical accuracy of protagonist Yasuke as a samurai. However, one of the most significant issues involved the ability to destroy objects in the game's recreations of Japanese shrines.

The controversy even reached high political levels when Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addressed concerns raised by a Japanese politician. According to IGN, the politician worried that "allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life."

Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized the cultural significance of these sites, stating that "defacing a shrine is out of the question – it is an insult to the nation itself." He further stressed that "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."

At last week's BAFTA Games Awards, Tsunoda spoke with Insider Gaming about her feelings on the game's portrayal of Japanese culture. While she expressed satisfaction with her performance as Naoe, she revealed her discomfort with certain gameplay elements.

"As Japanese, we grow up with the whole shrine, and the sacred mirrors, and all of that, and I saw in the video games that those are destroyable. So those things just [do] not happen," Tsunoda explained. "Just watching that kind of hurts my heart a little bit."

She further elaborated on the disconnect between the game and cultural reality: "You're able to do some things in the games that would just never, ever, ever you will be able to do in Japan, and those do hurt me. It's not authentic to be able to do something like that."

It's important to note that Ubisoft responded to these concerns quickly. The company released a day-one patch that made tables and shelves in shrines indestructible. The update also reduced violence in sacred spaces by removing blood effects when players attack unarmed civilians. These changes significantly limited the amount of destruction possible within shrine areas after the game's official launch.

The situation highlights the ongoing challenges game developers face when creating experiences set in real cultural contexts, balancing gameplay mechanics with cultural sensitivity and historical accuracy. For games with global reach like Assassin's Creed, these considerations become increasingly important as they serve as many players' introduction to historical periods and cultural practices from around the world.