Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Receives Controversial Patch That Changes Story, Makes Some Bosses Unkillable

Specifically, the patch 1.5 makes it impossible to kill certain bosses who are modeled after real figures from Chinese history, such as Liu Wenxiu, Liu Cheng’en, and Emperor Chongzhen. Instead, these characters become “exhausted” or stop fighting.

Many are upset with the changes because they undermine the plot where the player character, a female pirate named Bai Wuchang, battles key figures from the late Ming Dynasty while investigating the source of a mysterious illness. “They even added new voiceover dialogue for the protagonist so after you kill (oh sorry, I mean ‘exhaust’) certain historical bosses, she says ‘I will continue your legacy’ lmao they literally ruin the entire point of the game’s plot about impermanence. Amazing,” wrote YouTuber and developer Lance McDonald on Twitter. “Like the entire plot of the game is about the Ming Dynasty coming to an end, and the foley [sic] of refusing to let it end.” Other reported changes include making Ming Dynasty soldiers in Chapter 4 non-hostile, which apparently makes that part of the game dramatically easier, and removing a “pray” gesture learned from a Christian character in the game.

The Chinese government didn’t force these changes, as Wuchang isn’t legally available for sale in the country, but were allegedly implemented due to pressure from a vocal group of Chinese citizens who dislike the game’s portrayal of the Ming Dynasty and how the protagonist essentially hastens its end. For instance, the game’s Steam Forums are full of these types of angry posts, some of which are targeted at the game’s lead developer, Xia Siyuan. “Xia Siyuan, you should change your career. You might not be cut out for making games,” one forum post reads, according to Google Translate. “If you hadn’t stepped on both of the minefields at the end of the Ming Dynasty, you would have passed. But… you did it, offending both the haters and the fans. What an outstanding talent!”

While the 1.5 patch did apparently improve performance, some of its other gameplay changes were poorly received, such as how it reduced the difficulty of several bosses.