Assassin's Creed Shadows will be censored in Japan due to its gory combat

The two protagonists of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be censored in Japan due to the country's rating board
The Japanese version won't feature an option to switch amputation on
Ubisoft confirms the ability to cut the neck and limbs of enemies will also be "impossible"

The Japanese version of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be censored due to its violent content when the game is released on March 20.

The announcement comes from a statement shared to Ubisoft's Japanese X / Twitter account, in which the company confirmed that the next Assassin's Creed entry will not feature decapitations or dismemberment due to Japan's rating board.

"Regarding differences in content between the overseas (North America, Europe) and Japanese versions of Assassin's Creed: Shadows, the version sold in Japan of Assassin's Creed: Shadows (CERO: Z) will have some differences in in-game content in order to comply with the regulations of the certification organisation," said Ubisoft.

"The option to switch amputation on/off from the game settings has been removed, and amputating the neck and limbs of enemies during gameplay is now always impossible."

Ubisoft also noted that it has changed the "amputated surface of the body" and that "The representation of some Japanese voices played in the overseas version (North America and Europe) has been changed," but didn't offer any specifics on the latter adjustment.

This sort of censorship isn't uncommon in Japan. Many popular titles, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Last of Us, Until Dawn, and more have previously seen the reduction, and sometimes the complete removal, of violence, gore, and nudity due to the country's regulations, so it isn't a surprise that Assassin's Creed Shadows would receive the same treatment.