Assassin's Creed Shadows Undergoes Content Adjustments in Japan

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Japan's CERO Rating Leads to Content Changes

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows) has received a CERO Z rating in Japan, resulting in content alterations for the Japanese release. This rating, reserved for games suitable only for players 18 and older, necessitated the removal of dismemberment and decapitation. Depictions of wounds and severed body parts have also been modified. While the Japanese audio may also include changes, specifics haven't been detailed.

The international (North American/European) versions will offer players the option to toggle dismemberment and decapitation via the in-game settings menu.

CERO Z Rating and its Implications

The CERO Z rating reflects Japan's stringent content guidelines, focusing on sex, violence, anti-social behavior, and language/ideology. Games failing to meet these standards risk non-rating and subsequent inability to be sold in Japan. This isn't unprecedented for the Assassin's Creed franchise; previous titles like Valhalla and Origins also received CERO Z ratings due to their violent content. The Callisto Protocol and the Dead Space Remake are recent examples of games that didn't receive CERO ratings and thus bypassed the Japanese market.

Yasuke's Description Altered

Further changes involve the description of Yasuke, a key protagonist. On Steam and PlayStation Store's Japanese language pages, the term "samurai" (侍) has been replaced with "騎当千" (Ikki tousen), meaning "a warrior who can face a thousand enemies." This follows 2024's controversy surrounding the use of "black samurai" to describe Yasuke, a sensitive topic in Japanese history and culture. Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, previously stated the company's focus is on entertainment for a broad audience, not pushing specific agendas.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is slated for release on March 20, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.