Ubisoft Confirms Censorship for Assassin’s Creed Shadows in Japan
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Ubisoft has confirmed that the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, set in feudal Japan and releasing on March 20, will include censored content in Japan to comply with local regulations. Despite being rated “Z” by Japan’s CERO rating board—indicating it is strictly for adults—certain graphic elements will be altered or removed in this territory. This aligns with Japan’s tradition of imposing strict restrictions on violent content, similar to what has been observed with horror games in the past.
Ubisoft Explains Changes
According to a statement shared on Ubisoft Japan’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, dismemberment mechanics will be permanently disabled in the Japanese version of the game. Players will no longer be able to decapitate or sever enemy limbs, and any depiction of severed body parts has been modified. Ubisoft clarified that the option to toggle these features on or off has been completely removed. In addition to these changes, certain Japanese-language dialogues have also been altered, though specific examples were not provided.
Japan’s gaming industry has a long history of censoring violent content. Similar measures were seen in cases like the Dead Space Remake, where CERO refused to rate the game due to its depiction of dismemberment, leading to it being unreleased in Japan. In contrast, other titles such as Stellar Blade, which also feature graphic violence, received a less restrictive CERO D rating, making them available to players over 17 with parental consent.