It's official: Sony has cancelled the sale of ambitious action game Rise of the Ronin in South Korea due to historical controversy

The release of the ambitious action game Rise of the Ronin from Team Ninja Studios will take place very soon.

It will be a big-budget game in a historical setting. The events of Rise of the Ronin will unfold in the late 19th century, when Japan was in a severe crisis and was plunged into the chaos of civil war. The plot of the game will be fictional, but it is intertwined with real events from the history of Japan.

It is the historical context that is the reason why the PlayStation 5 exclusive will not be available in one of the largest markets in Asia.

Here's What We Know

The Korean branch of Sony Interactive Entertainment has published confirmation that Rise of the Ronin will not be released in this country.

The reason for this decision is believed to be a reference by Rise of the Ronin game director Fumihiko Yasuda to Japanese scholar and political figure Yoshida Shōin, who actively advocated the occupation of Korea.

It is worth noting that this historical figure is an extremely controversial figure: in Japan Shōin is considered a national hero, while in Korea he is an enemy.

South Korean gamers did not like the comparison of Yoshidou Shoin with Socrates, so they raised a wave of hatred against the developer, to which Sony responded by cancelling sales of the game in this country.

When We Can Expect It

Rise of the Ronin will release on March 22, 2024 on PS5.

Source: Eurogamer