PSA: If You Hear that Nintendo Is Censoring Same-Sex Relationships in Fire Emblem Fates, it’s a Fake

PSA: If You Hear that Nintendo Is Censoring Same-Sex Relationships in Fire Emblem Fates, it’s a Fake

Giuseppe Nelva January 27, 2016 11:40 AM EST

With the rather heated dialogue going on about censorship in the upcoming 3DS exclusive Fire Emblem Fates, it’s time to start being careful about the credibility of what you hear.

Today, a mail allegedly coming from the Italian branch of Nintendo, mentioned to an anonymous “editorial staff” that same-sex relationships were removed from the European version of the game. A translation was posted on Reddit and then bounced on NeoGAF, with social media immediately starting to work as the usual echo chamber.

The mail immediately looked strange to me. As you know, I’m from Italy, and I have regular contacts with the local branch of Nintendo. The formatting doesn’t look like anything I ever received from them, and the address isn’t that of their PR Office, which is in the same city, but in a different location.

In order to bring some clarity into the issue, I contacted Nintendo Italy’s PR Manager, and received the following reply (translated from Italian):

“I can easily confirm that the mail you attached is a complete fake. Even the address of Nintendo Italy’s HQ in Vimercate is incorrect.”

So there you have it, straight from the Lion’s mouth. If you come across this “rumor,” be aware that it’s a fake created by someone who didn’t do his homework all too well.