Sucker Punch Productions’Ghost of Tsushimahas been one of the most popular games of 2020. It won the Player’s Voice award at The Game Awards 2020 andFamitsu readers pickedGhost of Tsushimaas their game of the year, among other accolades. Now it appears this success has done more than simply fill Sucker Punch’s coffers, as fans of the game have played a key role in providing aid to reconstruction efforts following a typhoon.
A torii at the Watatsumi Shrine on Tsushima was destroyed on September 7 by Typhoon #10, which was said to be intense enough to “shatter all records” in predictions by the Japan Meteorological Agency, according to The Asahi Shimbun. A special alert was put out on September 2 suggesting the typhoon would pose “a serious, unprecedented and imminent danger to human life.”
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Following that storm, Watatsumi Shrine priest Yuichi Hirayama organized a campaign on the crowdfunding site Campfire starting November 27 asking for ¥5 million to repair the torii - a gate that acts as an entrance to the sacred ground of a Shinto shrine, according to the New York Times. That campaign has raised ¥20,846,277 as of this writing, and Famitsu reports (translated by Twinfinite) that Hirayama said a lot of support was granted byGhost of Tsushimafans.
Shinto shrines play a significant role inGhost of Tsushima, which likely helped draw fan attention to the reconstruction effort. Protagonist Jin Sakai can visitshrines across Tsushima that offer charms: equippable artifacts that provide a number of different bonuses such as increasing perfect dodge chance.
Sucker Punch has received a fair amount of acclaim from Japanese game developers for capturing the look and spirit of the island circa 1274, when it was invaded by the Mongol army in real life. The game has also been a sales juggernaut as one of the last exclusive titles for Sony’s PlayStation 4, withGhost of Tsushimaselling over five million copiesin four months.
The studio has continued to support its popular title since release. Smaller updates have added goodies likeoutfits based on other PlayStation franchises toGhost of Tsushima. Meanwhile, Sucker Punch also launched its multiplayer facetGhost of Tsushima: Legends.
ThatGhost of Tsushimahas had a genuine impact on fans, leading them to help repair a real-world shrine, cannot be understated. For any other individuals who want to throw in their support, there are still 16 days remaining in the Campfire campaign as of this writing.
Ghost of Tsushimais available now for PlayStation 4.
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