Ubisoft mistakingly censors nudity in Far Cry 4 on Steam before restoring files

After a recent Far Cry 4 update, gamers discovered some surprising changes. Ubisoft didn't release patch notes, but Steam users encountered a long list of file revisions. Soon enough, Redditors learned that some of the changes targeted nudity. What was odd about the censorship is that Far Cry 4 has been available since 2014. Following an outcry, Ubisoft has clarified that the actions were targeted at the Japanese version of the game. The original files have been restored to the worldwide Steam version. 

Far Cry 4 is a shooter with open-world elements that takes place in Kyrat, a fictional Himalayan nation. The people of Kyrat have looser standards for nudity, which partially led to its Mature ESRB rating. Far Cry 4 sold well regardless, so it seems strange that Ubisoft would patch suggestive content now. The publisher initially didn't comment, leaving fans to speculate about the cause.

One example of the censorship was with an NPC in the Shanath Arena. Before the patch, players would encounter a topless woman, while afterward, the character was wearing a bra. A more important Far Cry 4 figure was also less scantily clad. Protagonist Ajay Ghale was given a loincloth to cover his genitals. As word spread, players posted both before-and-after photos on Reddit and various forums.

Despite the success of Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has been in dire financial straits. After several lackluster Ubisoft games, the French company created a subsidiary for franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. Tencent, a major financial stakeholder in the Chinese gaming industry, is a key investor in the subsidiary. Since Chinese publishers regularly censor nudity, some Far Cry 4 gamers believed Tencent's marketing plans were to blame. Still, it appears that, for now, Ubisoft is more concerned with the game's reception in Japan.

Notably, Ubisoft also employed recent censorship in Assassin's Creed Shadows. In response to complaints over the depiction of a Japanese shrine, players can no longer destroy the building.