Assassin’s Creed Mirage isn’t rate AO, won’t have gambling or lootboxes

The newest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, was revealed over the weekend during Saturday’s Ubisoft Forward event. Although the details were shared, it seemed that the surprising news came from the Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s Xbox.com store listing, which suggested that it would be rated Adults Only, and would contain real gambling (as well as intense violence, blood and gore, sexual themes, and partial nudity).

Ubisoft however quickly confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Mirage’It was erroneous to list a AO rating or hint of gambling. Microsoft has since updated the game’s listing to reflect that it has not received a rating yet.

In a statement to Eurogamer, Ubisoft said, “following the announcement of Assassin’s Creed MirageDuring Ubisoft forward, some store pages incorrectly showed the game’s preorders as having an Adults-Only ESRB rating. While Assassin’s Creed Mirage is still pending rating, Ubisoft wants to reassure players that no real gambling or lootboxes are present in the game.”

Fans were confused by the initial rating, which was largely due to how unlikely it seemed. It is rare for games to receive an Entertainment Software Ratings Board rating of Adults Only. And those who do, face challenges due to their limited sales or marketing opportunities. This is also why it should come as no surprise that the rating didn’t stick, and that the Xbox store page now says that the game is expected to be rated M for Mature.

Gambling was an issue for some players as well, although that concern had more foundation. Ever since Assassin’s Creed’s radical reinvention with Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ubisoft’s leveling system in the series has proven controversial, in part because the company has sold boosts via in-game microtransactions to make the single-player leveling experience faster.

While those boosts are certainly a far cry from “real gambling,” fans are already a little leery of the franchise’s microtransaction history. That being said, Ubisoft’s clarification that there won’t be any “real gambling” or lootboxes in the game should at least assuage some concerns.

Assassin’s Creed MirageReleased for public release in 2023