Sony Interactive Entertainment is pushing back against claims that its hotly anticipated PS5 samurai action epic Rise of the Ronin has been “cancelled” in South Korea over politically controversial remarks. Accusations emerged online suggesting Sony intentionally blocked the game’s Korean release to avoid scrutiny over perceived historical revisionism. But the platform holder asserts Rise of the Ronin was never slated for formal Korean launch in the first place.
Speculation ignited when Rise of the Ronin and related marketing assets mysteriously vanished from Korean PlayStation channels in recent weeks. Sony’s Korean subsidiary acknowledged the vanishing act with an ambiguous statement that Rise of the Ronin would not be published physically or digitally in the country under any circumstances.
This fostered assumptions that Sony preemptively axed Korean distribution to sidestep brewing criticism about the game glorifying controversial Japanese historical figures like philosopher Yoshida Shoin. Shoin’s influential role grooming leaders during the 19th century Meiji Restoration makes him a polarizing persona given longstanding tensions between Korea and imperial Japan.
Direct allegations claim Sony enacted this unofficial Korean “ban” to suppress condemnation about Rise of the Ronin director Fumihiko Yasuda venerating Shoin in behind-the-scenes developer footage. Specifically, Yasuda declares his ambition has been depicting how Shoin’s teachings shaped pivotal Meiji era leaders who boosted Japan’s international power. This perspective predictably irked Korean observers leery of whitewashing disputed history.
However, Sony contends scraped Korean launch plans are wholly unrelated to ethical objections over game content or developer statements. An official spokesperson instead matter-of-factly asserts to media outlets like IGN that Rise of the Ronin was never formally greenlit for Korean release in the first place. Case closed.
Reading between the lines, it seems Sony concluded Korean localization wouldn’t be cost effective since the title caters more directly to home market tastes anyway. But the company’s flat denial leaves some loose ends. If Korea was never part of rollout plans, why was the game briefly listed on the Korean PlayStation Store, or mentioned in Korean language blogs before edits scrubbed references?
Either way, perceptions will likely linger that Sony executed a “soft ban” to sidestep thorny political blowback, intentional or not. For now, the company seems satisfied with definitively crushing rumors of some 11th hour cancellation rather than addressing stickier questions about revisionist history or regional censorship. But the cryptic case of Rise of the Ronin’s vanished Korean release will doubtless resurface larger conversations about balancing creative freedom and cultural sensitivity in the gaming sphere.
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