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 align with Japan's strict content guidelines.

CERO Z Rating and Content Adjustments:

The Japanese version will omit dismemberment and decapitation, modifying depictions of wounds and severed body parts. The Japanese audio track will also undergo some unspecified changes. Conversely, the international versions (North America/Europe) will offer players the option to toggle dismemberment and decapitation via the in-game settings.

CERO's rating system considers four key factors: sexual content, violence, antisocial behavior, and language/ideology. Games failing to meet these standards are unrated and cannot be sold in Japan. This isn't a new phenomenon for the Assassin's Creed franchise; many previous titles, including 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 a CERO rating and were therefore unavailable in Japan.

Yasuke's In-Game Description Altered:

Further modifications involve Yasuke's description. In Japanese language versions on Steam and the PlayStation Store, the term "samurai" (侍) has been replaced with "騎当千" (Ikki tousen), meaning "a warrior who can face a thousand enemies." This follows criticism of the original "black samurai" description, a sensitive topic in Japanese history and culture. Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, previously stated the company's priority is entertainment for a broad audience, not promoting specific agendas. The use of historical figures in Assassin's Creed games is well-established, making this a recurring issue for the developers.

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