The Chinese soulslike game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has just been hit with a wave of censorship in its latest patch 1.5, and players are not happy with the changes. Some report that the game has become much easier, as certain enemies no longer attack on sight, and its themes of death and rebirth have been heavily altered.
For context, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is loosely based on the late Ming Dynasty era and features real-life historical figures such as Jesuits Gabriel de Magalhaes, Lodovico Buglio, and, most notably, Chinese figures like the peasant leader Zhang Xianzhong and Ming General Zhao Yun.
Players on the game’s subreddit have noticed major changes to dialogue and NPC behavior, though these revisions were never mentioned in the patch notes. Notable X user Lance McDonald has also documented these unusual changes, pointing out that key parts of the game’s lore have been rewritten to address pressure from Chinese players who disliked how certain historical figures were portrayed.
One notable example is a major boss fight with late Ming Dynasty general Zhao Yun. Previously one of the hardest encounters in the game, complete with one of the best arenas in any soulslike, the fight has now been altered so that Zhao Yun praises Wuchang and calls the battle “a trial” rather than stopping his bloody quest for immortality. Even his name has been changed to “Zhao Yun’s Spirit.”
The boss fight with Zhang Xianzhong has also been heavily censored. Originally, defeating him meant ending his dream of immortality, but now he is described as merely “exhausted.” Instead of fading away after the fight, he remains and speaks with Wuchang. Several other historical bosses have been given additional dialogue where Wuchang says, “I will continue your legacy” after defeating them.
Gameplay difficulty has been further reduced, as farmers, Ming soldiers, and other peasant civilians can no longer attack Wuchang. This significantly changes one chapter of the game that was previously among the hardest, allowing players to breeze through without resistance.
It's also worth noting that Wuchang: Fallen Feathers displays a prominent disclaimer on startup, stating that it is “a work of fiction” and should not be taken at face value. However, it appears that Leenzee Games has caved in to the pressure of angry Chinese players and rewritten key elements of the game’s central theme of immortality, undermining its original message about people refusing to let go of the Ming Empire.
The game’s subreddit moderators have reportedly begun banning any discussion of the censorship.
This has been the most bizarre post-game update in a video game this year, and that’s not even accounting for Mindseye’s shoddy development roadmap. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a fantastic soulslike game, but with Patch 1.5, the game has turned into a complete mess with its heavy revisions due to cultural reasons. And that’s a shame.
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