The upcoming game “Rise of the Ronin” by Japanese developer Team Ninja will reportedly not be available for purchase in South Korea.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Korea has revealed that “Rise of the Ronin,” developed by the Japanese game company Team Ninja and set to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, will not be available in South Korea upon its global release next month. This is apparently because Fumihiko Yasuda, the director of the game at Team Ninja, made some controversial remarks, leading to political tensions between South Korea and Japan, which have caused a stir in the gaming community.
The remarks made by Yasuda, especially in a ‘making of’ video, have become a point of contention. In the video, Yasuda is said to have “glorified” a Japanese scholar named Yoshida Shōin, comparing him to Socrates. The controversy arises from Shōin’s promotion of a theory known as the ‘Jeonghan Theory,’ which advocates for Japan conquering Korean lands to strengthen its regional influence.
Yasuda’s statement in the video reads, “Yoshida Shōin is a figure comparable to Socrates in Japan. I wanted to capture his way of life, his words, and his actions in Rise of the Ronin.” This commentary has attracted attention and criticism, particularly in the context of the historical setting of the game, which takes place during the Meiji Restoration.
The Korean gaming community has taken offense to this, leading SIE Korea to allegedly prevent the game’s release in the nation. Moreover, Rise of the Ronin may no longer be pre-purchased on South Korean PS Store accounts.
The localization of Rise of the Ronin in the Meiji Restoration era was already controversial, and Yasuda’s comments have reportedly intensified the controversy.
With only five weeks remaining until the global release, gamers from Korea have been loud and clear in their criticism of Team Ninja, praising Sony Korea’s decision and expressing skepticism about future Team Ninja games. Comments such as “I don’t understand why they would want to put ideas in the game” and “Socrates is not such an insignificant great man” reflect the disappointment and disapproval within the gaming community.
As of now, PlayStation has not officially confirmed the validity of these reports. If true, it serves as a reminder that individuals in the gaming industry need to be mindful of their statements, especially when developing games with historical contexts and real people as characters. However, it remains to be seen whether the controversy will subside, and Sony Interactive Entertainment Korea will opt for a low-key launch at a later date, possibly after the release of Stellar Blade or there will be no release at all.
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