Assassin's Creed Shadows Censorship Update 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, necessitates changes to comply with Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) guidelines.

Specifically, the Japanese version will omit dismemberment and decapitation, modifying depictions of wounds and severed body parts. Audio adjustments are also planned, though specifics remain undisclosed. Conversely, the international versions (North America/Europe) will offer players the option to toggle these violent elements.

CERO's stringent standards regarding gore and dismemberment are well-documented. This isn't the first time the Assassin's Creed franchise has faced this hurdle; many previous titles, including Valhalla and Origins, also received CERO Z ratings. The Callisto Protocol and the Dead Space Remake are recent examples of games that did not receive CERO ratings and were not released in Japan.

Further modifications extend to the in-game description of Yasuke, a key protagonist. The term "samurai" (侍) has been replaced with "騎当千" (Ikki tousen), meaning "a warrior who can face a thousand enemies," on Steam and PlayStation Store pages in Japanese. This follows prior controversy surrounding the character's portrayal. Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, previously stated the company's focus remains on entertainment, not pushing specific agendas.

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches March 20, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For more details, visit our Assassin's Creed Shadows page.