Wuchang: Fallen Feathers censorship controversy sparks debate over how much games should change after launch

Apparently, due to some backlash from its Chinese audience, the developers of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers have decided to make some controversial changes that some players consider censorship. Initially called out by a popular FromSoftware content creator on social media, the latest patch for Wuchang appears to prevent certain enemies from being killed and even turns some enemies non-hostile. This has stirred up a fascinating conversation about how the content of a game can change after purchase.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers developers make significant changes to the game after backlash

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers launched a little less than a month ago, and while it has gained an audience, reviews weren’t exactly glowing. On Metacritic, it sits at a respectable 74 / 100, while Gamepressure’s Giancarlo Saldana wrote in their review: “If you’re hoping for something that shatters expectations or tells a deeply personal story, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t quite soar—it glides comfortably in familiar skies.” Steam user reviews are particularly harsh, leaving Wuchang at a Mixed 50% positive out of over 35 thousand reviews.

From reading the August 12th patch notes on Steam, many lines appear to be somewhat intentionally vague. One line reads: “Made adjustments to animations, values, and level design for certain NPCs and AI…” without getting into any further specifics. They may not have needed to become more specific, but according to players on social media, like Lance McDonald, these vague notes might be hiding the larger issues.

The changes seem to be mostly concerned with the player’s ability to kill historically significant figures from the Ming Dynasty, a period in Chinese history. Whereas previously certain bosses would be defeated, they now “…just get ‘exhausted’ and relax after the fight and talk to you…” from McDonald on social media. Thanks to another user on social media who shared screenshots, one of the game’s most difficult bosses now simply claims the fight was a “trial” rather than being killed.

The story was also shared on Reddit, and some users are taking drastic actions to protect the original experience. One of the top comments reads: “I disabled WiFi on my PS5 to stop this update. I plan on completing it without this stupid censorship before deleting it.” Other users also suggested that sites should update their reviews, given that this is such a monumental change.

This sparks a fascinating topic in modern gaming. Sure, you can pay $60 or $70 for a game, but clearly that doesn’t guarantee it will remain the same. According to many users, these changes fundamentally shift the overall story and themes of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Not only that, but some of the changes trivialize the difficulty of certain levels, weakening the game’s challenge and impact.

Since it has been weeks after the game’s launch, many players have likely missed the opportunity to get a refund, at least on Steam. One user on Reddit argued that a change this significant should allow players the opportunity to refund the game. But unfortunately, I wouldn’t expect any changes from the developer unless the backlash is just as severe as that in China. This is reality in a gaming landscape where players buy licenses rather than the actual game. At the very least, this is a good warning to be careful what games you spend your money on.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

July 24, 2025

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