Leenzee Games has rolled out patch 1.5 for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, aiming to fix performance hiccups and streamline gameplay. The update improves combat flow with faster healing, dodge cancels, and promises shorter boss run-backs. 
Yet, beneath the technical upgrades lies a controversial overhaul that has left much of the player base frustrated.
Key non-playable characters that previously could be attacked are now immortal, erasing one of the more intriguing ways to interact with the game’s madness system. Chapter four, once a tense gauntlet of hostile human foes, has been dulled-many of those enemies no longer fight back, turning the chapter into an easier stroll rather than a desperate struggle. Perhaps most jarring, bosses no longer truly die; they collapse in exhaustion, wander away, or dismiss entire battles as ‘trials.’ This shift undercuts the game’s core theme of confronting and accepting death.
The narrative stakes are further muddied by the fact that the spared characters all share one trait: ties to the Ming Dynasty. Wuchang originally framed its story around the dynasty’s fall, weaving historical fiction with themes of mortality. Now, that premise is weakened, and critics argue the change feels more like censorship than artistic evolution. Players speculate that Leenzee may be bowing to cultural or political sensitivities, though the studio itself has offered no explanation beyond the patch notes.
Reactions have been divisive. On Steam and social platforms, many accuse the developers of rewriting the story after release, undermining character motivations and gameplay balance. Some fans note that previously useful NPCs now serve little purpose, making progression oddly hollow. Others view the changes as an unnecessary simplification-where a scalpel might have sufficed, the patch swung a hammer, making the game easier but less meaningful.
Interestingly, the official subreddit for the game shows little criticism, with users claiming that moderators are scrubbing negative posts. Meanwhile, reviews and outside discussions remain heated, with players comparing this patch to censorship controversies in other Chinese games. For now, many fans recommend sticking with version 1.4 if possible, where the original vision of Fallen Feathers remains intact.