One of the most popular video games offered by Ubisoft – Assassin’s Creed Mirage – has been rated Adults Only by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) because it was found to contain real gambling. This move implies that the game is likely to feature some kind of loot boxes and also makes it the first game of the developer that has received such a high age rating.
Over the weekend, the first Ubisoft Forward Showcase of 2022 was held, with the company announcing the updates on some of its games, including The Division Heartlands, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and Just Dance 2023. The 15th-anniversary showcase of Assassin’s Creed was the show’s highlight, with the company making an announcement about a number of titles in development, including Assassin’s Creed Mirage which is set to be officially launched in 2023.
What really needs to be taken into account was the fact that the ESRB has rated the new game in the Assassin’s Creed game series Adults Only due to the fact there was some real gambling. The rating could be noticed during the reveal trailer aired at the event and is now available on the Xbox store’s listing. At the time, it has not been revealed whether the AO was a provisional or a temporary rating.
Late last night it was found that the Instagram upload of the video game’s trailer has a “Rating Pending” label instead of an Adults Only label, which means that the Xbox store listing of Assassin’s Creed Mirage could be incorrect.
Video Games’ Real Gambling Involves In-Game Virtual Gambling Options
In the period from 1993 to 2018, there were only 33 video games that received an Adults Only rating, including Agony, Outlast 2, and Manhunt for being notoriously violent and controversial. The addition of Assassin’s Creed Mirage to the list happened because the Entertainment Software Rating Board believes that any game featuring real gambling must receive an Adults Only rating.
As previously explained by the ESRB, so-called “real gambling” in video games includes any in-game virtual gambling options that require customers to spend real money in order to get them. According to the official descriptor for the content warning on the Entertainment Software Rating Board states that real gambling provides players with the opportunity to gamble, including placing bets by using real cash or currency. In comparison, so-called “simulated gambling” allows players to gamble without betting any real cash or currency.
So far, it has not been officially confirmed that gambling was specifically the reason for the Adults Only rating. Still, considering that every other game from the Assassin’s Creed series developed by Ubisoft has been rated M for Mature and featured all the same content warnings except for gambling, it is very likely that is exactly the case.
According to market experts, it is very unlikely that Ubisoft allows any real gambling that might be featured in the Assassin’s Creed Mirage because some video game stores do not offer games that are rated as Adults Only. It is simple – it is too big of a risk for the company to take, especially considering the fact that it makes a lot of money from such purchases.
