Team Ninja’s highly anticipated upcoming game, “Rise of the Ronin,” has hit a snag in its journey to the gaming world, as it will not be making its debut in South Korea.
This development sent shockwaves through Korean media outlets yesterday when the game suddenly vanished from the Korean PlayStation Store, accompanied by the removal of all promotional materials on PlayStation’s Korean YouTube channel, save for a solitary trailer.
According to reports circulating on the Korean community site Ruliweb, Sony Interactive Entertainment Korea has officially confirmed that “Rise of the Ronin” will not see the light of day in Korea, neither in physical nor digital form.
Sony has refrained from disclosing the precise reasons behind the cancellation of the game’s release in Korea. However, speculation suggests a possible connection to remarks made by game director Fumuhiko Yasuda in a behind-the-scenes video posted by PlayStation regarding “Rise of the Ronin.”
In the said video, Yasuda is depicted visiting the city of Hagi and the Shoka Sonjuku School, established by the 19th-century scholar Shōin Yoshida. Yoshida, a seminal figure in Japanese history, played a crucial role in educating many of the prominent figures involved in the Meiji Restoration, which heralded the reinstatement of imperial rule in Japan.
Yasuda’s admiration for Yoshida is evident in his words during the video: “Although separated by time and space, I see him akin to Socrates.” He expressed his desire to portray Yoshida’s teachings and life in “Rise of the Ronin,” emphasizing Yoshida’s stance on the imperative nature of action.
The students of Yoshida subsequently became influential figures in Japan’s political landscape during the Meiji era, a period marked by Japan’s rapid militarization and its victories in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.
Yoshida’s involvement in the Seikanron debate of 1873, advocating for the conquest of Korea to bolster Japan’s national strength, underscores his controversial status in Korea. This historical backdrop, compounded by the inclusion of Yoshida and his student Kogoro Katsura in “Rise of the Ronin,” has drawn criticism from Korean audiences online.
Despite these controversies, gaming enthusiasts received an exclusive glimpse into the gameplay of “Rise of the Ronin” during Sony’s PlayStation State of Play event in January. Scheduled for release exclusively on PS5 on March 22nd, the game promises an immersive experience, albeit with its share of geopolitical sensitivities.
