Wuchang: Fallen Feathers bosses made unkillable in latest patch, seemingly to appease Chinese outcry

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This week, the game “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” received its 1.5 update, introducing numerous enhancements that improve overall gameplay experience, as well as alterations to the narrative and boss battles presumably aimed at satisfying Chinese online communities.

As a devoted gamer, I’ve just dived into the latest patch notes and here’s what caught my eye: They’re beefing up Wuchang’s recovery with snappier healing animations, and they’ve tweaked the invincibility frames when he gets back on his feet. But there’s a sneaky line hidden in the fine print about some NPC conversations being added to advance certain storylines. They’re also planning to polish up the exhaustion animations down the line to make those plot threads run more smoothly.

As reported by Kotaku and pointed out by https://x.com/manfightdragon/status/1955675217680105798, in practice this means that several key bosses, notably those associated with the Ming dynasty, no longer die after their bloodthirsty battles with Wuchang. Instead, they fall down in exhaustion and remain in the boss arena, occasionally offering up further dialogue if Wuchang speaks with them. In the case of famous general Zhao Yun, who existed during China’s Three Kingdoms period hundreds of years before the Ming dynasty and shows up as a surprise NPC and boss, the fight is reframed as a “trial” by his immortal soul designed to test Wuchang.

As I delved into this updated version of the game, I discovered an intriguing twist: previously hostile characters like peasant loyalists and imperial guards from the Ming dynasty are now friendly. This transformation has drastically reshaped the fourth region, Worship’s Rise in Ruins, once teeming with these adversaries. Now, most of the enemies in this level are on my side, turning what was once a challenging battlefield into a walk in the park.

It seems that changes were implemented by developer Lenzee Games following criticism from Chinese online communities who feel the game unfairly portrays the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), as it has been negatively depicted since its launch. Critics argue that the game presents an unfavorable image of this historical period.

The Ming dynasty (317-1644 AD), led by the Han Chinese, was the last before the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 AD), which was governed by the Manchu people. In the game “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers,” there are no Manchu adversaries, but rather notable historical figures like Zhu Youjian, who served as the 17th and final Ming ruler, also known as the Chongzhen Emperor (meaning “auspicious”). In this game, Zhu Youjian is portrayed as a draconian version of himself, consumed by an obsession with immortality and preserving the Ming dynasty at all costs. With the release of Patch 1.5, it’s no longer possible to permanently kill Zhu Youjian in the game, instead depicting him as having been corrupted. After defeating him, there are hints that he retreats into seclusion with his consort rather than dying permanently.

5 Patch feedback among English-speaking internet gamers has predominantly been critical, with Reddit users on one of Wuchang’s two online forums expressing shock over surviving bosses and observing that their post-battle “exhausted” states appear incomplete (it should be noted that the patch notes mention these animations will be refined).

Among Chinese gamers, responses to Patch 1.5 have varied. Discussions on Chinese Steam forums involve opinions that Lenzee yielded to an overly dominant group of vocal individuals, and proposals suggesting that players should be allowed to fight against Ming enemies instead of transforming them into friendly NPCs.

It has been emphasized that the changes made to the story “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” weaken its core, as it heavily relies on the Buddhist idea of samsara, or continuous change, which is evident in both the protagonist Wuchang’s goals and the setting of a falling Ming dynasty. The second contribution to this discussion effectively sums it up by pointing out that the plot revolves around Wuchang giving up her fixation on reviving her sister, but this theme becomes irrelevant when Zhu Youjian, as the Chinese emperor, miraculously avoids death.

Personally, as someone who put 90 hours into Wuchang: Fallen Feathers for guides purposes and is half-Chinese (Taiwanese actually, but I won’t get into that here), I feel that the original outcry was unjustified and came from a select group of players who subscribe to ideas of Han Chinese supremacy. That said, I’m not surprised that Lenzee made these changes. Entities in Mainland China need to be more beholden to social pressure and patriotism to survive, and Leenzee Games invited scrutiny by featuring real-world figures and literally making the game’s Chinese title 明末, which can be translated as “Last days of the Ming”. I suspect they had a particular vision in mind, and they’ve now deemed it necessary to compromise on that vision in order to survive. It’s a shame, since the news of these tweaks has covered up the quality-of-life patch improvements that will make the game more enjoyable.

If you’re intrigued, here’s your chance to see me defeat the legendary Zhao Yun in just over two minutes, using a fire axe build. Take a look at my boss guide for the details!

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2025-08-15 14:29