An unexpected change in Far Cry 4 recently caused confusion among long-time players, after it was discovered that a scene containing nudity had been censored. The alteration appeared in an 11-year-old game, sparking questions across the gaming community. Ubisoft later clarified that the censorship was unintentional and a result of mistakenly pushing a region-specific version of the game designed for Japan to players worldwide.
In one particular scene, a female non-playable character confronts the player for staring at her bare chest. During normal gameplay, she would make a comment about it. However, some players noticed that the character was now wearing a bikini top, a change not present in earlier versions of the game.
Community Reaction and Discovery of Further Changes
One player shared their surprise online, asking why such changes were occurring more than a decade after the game’s release. The user emphasized that the altered visuals were not the result of mods or fan edits, and a moderator on a Far Cry subreddit confirmed the change was legitimate. It was also noted that the audio files had been modified—though only in the English version—raising further curiosity about other possible differences introduced by the update.
The same moderator conducted further investigation and revealed another unexpected discovery: in the Shanath Arena mission, the protagonist Ajay was no longer nude. Instead, he had been given a loincloth, an addition not found in the original global release.
Ubisoft Responds and Fixes the Issue
Initial speculation among fans pointed toward potential censorship policy shifts possibly influenced by corporate ties. However, the actual cause turned out to be a technical oversight. The modified assets were intended solely for the Japanese version of the game, where regional content restrictions differ. Unfortunately, these files were accidentally rolled out worldwide via Steam.
Ubisoft promptly addressed the matter. In a statement shared on their official Far Cry social media account, the company explained that the correct global files had been re-uploaded to Steam. Players experiencing lingering issues were advised to restart the platform and check for updates. The statement reassured the fanbase that there were no intentions to censor the game globally, emphasizing that the situation stemmed purely from a packaging error.
Looking Ahead for the Franchise
With the issue resolved, Far Cry 4’s original content has been restored, preserving the game’s artistic design as intended upon release. As Ubisoft undergoes internal restructuring, attention is turning to the future of the franchise. Far Cry 7 is currently in development, along with a separate extraction shooter project, though reports suggest the latter has recently undergone a reboot.
Fans remain hopeful that upcoming entries in the series will retain the creative freedom and mature themes that have defined Far Cry since its inception.