Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the upcoming open world action-RPG from Ubisoft, is being censored in Japan for its graphic content despite its 18+ rating in the country. Most of the censorship seems to be aimed at bodily dismemberment, which Japanese ratings organisation CERO deems a bit too violent and graphic for release, forcing Ubisoft to make necessary adjustments in order to get the game released in Japan.
A statement provided by Ubisoft’s Japanese X account confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be censored when it releases in Japan. CERO had originally given the game a Z rating, which means that it can’t be sold to people under the age of 18. However, some of the gore was deemed a bit too graphic even for a Z rating, forcing Ubisoft to censor the content.
Ubisoft said in its statement:
“Regarding Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (CERO: Z), there are some differences in the in-game content of the version sold in Japan in order to comply with the regulations of the reviewing organisation. The option to switch dismemberment on and off has been removed from the game settings, and now dismembering the heads and limbs of enemies while playing is permanently disabled. The way severed body parts are depicted has also been changed.”
『アサシン クリード シャドウズ』海外版(北米・欧州)と日本版 表現差異について#AssassinsCreedShadows pic.twitter.com/v3XrcppwMf
— Ubisoft Japan (@UBISOFT_JAPAN) January 24, 2025
CERO has come under fire in the past for discrepancies in its ratings. For example, the organisation refused to rate the Dead Space remake due to the game featuring similar bodily dismemberment, however Stellar Blade was given a D rating (not suitable for players under 17) despite also featuring dismembered limbs in its gameplay.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on 20 March 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. In case you missed it, check out our ranking of all the main Assassin’s Creed games from worst to best.
Source: Ubisoft