Assassin’s Creed Shadows has received an M18 rating from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). The rating is primarily due to the game’s depiction of violence and sexual references.
Set in feudal Japan during the Sengoku era, Assassin’s Creed Shadows allows players to take on the roles of two protagonists: Naoe, a skilled shinobi, and Yasuke, a powerful African samurai. The game features an expansive open-world environment, enabling players to navigate political intrigue, warring factions, and strategic espionage.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows features intense combat sequences, with players wielding various weapons such as katanas, kanabō war clubs, yari spears, shuriken, kunai, and scythes. The game allows for direct confrontations as well as stealth-based assassinations. Players can also use explosives to eliminate enemies in a more tactical manner.
The IMDA classification highlights the frequent depictions of violence, particularly the blood effects that accompany successful attacks. When enemies are struck, blood splatters realistically and stains their clothing, with pools of blood forming beneath fallen opponents. Yasuke’s combat style enables dismemberment and decapitation, adding to the visceral nature of battles. Stealth assassinations often involve stabbing enemies in the neck or torso.
Cutscenes further reinforce the mature themes of the game. One of the more graphic sequences features a severed head rolling on the ground after an implied decapitation, complete with blood spurting from the neck. Other scenes depict characters being shot or stabbed in the body and head. Additionally, players will encounter bloody environments filled with corpses and large blood pools. According to IMDA guidelines, M18-rated games can feature “realistic violence, such as killing, maiming, or causing other serious injuries to humanoid characters.”
In addition to its action-packed gameplay, Assassin’s Creed Shadows includes optional romance mechanics. Through dialogue choices, players can establish relationships between the protagonists and other characters, including those of the same sex. These relationships may lead to intimate moments, depicted through caressing and kissing before the screen fades to black.
IMDA’s M18 guidelines permit “some homosexual content, if discreet in treatment and not gratuitous,” as well as “depictions of same-sex kissing and hugging.” The inclusion of LGBTQ+ romance options aligns with Ubisoft’s recent approach to player-driven storytelling and inclusivity within the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 20, 2025.
