Current Events > The ESRB has given Assassin's Creed Mirage an AO rating for gambling

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Assassin's Creed Mirage has been rated AO for Adults Only by the ESRB due to it containing "real gambling". This implies that it'll feature lootboxes of some kind and also makes it the first game developed by Ubisoft to receive such a high age rating.

Yesterday, Ubisoft held its first Ubisoft Forward showcase of the year, providing updates on games like Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, The Division Heartlands, and Just Dance 2023. Of course, the highlight of the show was the Assassin's Creed 15th anniversary showcase, which revealed several new titles in development including next year's game, Assassin's Creed Mirage, which was presented as more of a traditional experience for the series.

One detail that was easy to miss in all the excitement was that the ESRB has rated Mirage AO, which stands for Adults Only, due to its "real gambling". This rating could be spotted during the reveal trailer and can now be seen on the Xbox store's listing, which seems to imply that it's legitimate and not some kind of mistake. There's also no mention of it being a temporary or provisional rating, so it seems set unless Ubisoft changes something.

For those unaware, there are only 33 games that have been given an AO rating between 1993 and 2018, including the likes of Manhunt, Outlast 2, and Agony. The reason that Mirage has joined the ranks of these notoriously violent and controversial games is that the ESRB now considers any game with "real gambling" to be worthy of an Adults Only rating.

By "real gambling", the ESRB means in-game virtual gambling that you can spend real-world money on. Due to recent changes to the ESRB guidelines, lootboxes are considered a form of gambling since they don't tell the player what they might be buying.

Considering some stores won't stock games that are Adult Only, it's incredibly unlikely that Ubisoft allows Assassin's Creed Mirage to keep whatever real-world gambling it has. As much money as it doubtlessly makes from those purchases, it's not worth the potential sales drop that it could see by only being available in select stores and on digital storefronts.

This is the first ever AO rated game

This is the first ever AO rated game

This is the first ever AO rated game

fake news

That's blatantly untrue lmao

I defy you to name a single AO rated video game before this one.

I defy you to name a single AO rated video game before this one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AO-rated_video_games

Dont big name stores refuse to carry AO games?

Dont big name stores refuse to carry AO games?

My guess is they'll do what they've been doing with other unpopular features, which is remove it, get the rating adjusted, wait like 3 weeks after the game is out and all the reviews are in, and then patch it in as a "free feature"

No retail stores or consoles carry them. It is a banned rating, only PC is allowed along with Android.

Can't the ESRB change the rating if lootboxes are added to a game later?

Funny they've opted to run with the AO rating rather than remove the gambling, but we all know where their priorities are. A lot of stores won't carry physical copies, either, which means they're banking hard on with digital sales or companies sucking it up and changing their entire policy just for AssCreed.

My guess is they'll do what they've been doing with other unpopular features, which is remove it, get the rating adjusted, wait like 3 weeks after the game is out and all the reviews are in, and then patch it in as a "free feature"

I thought the big 3 refused to carry games with an AO rating. What is this?

https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/assassins-creed-mirage/9n4096hx1wwq

My guess will be that this mindset will instantly disappear if it means not carrying the new Ass Creed game.

It's obviously just the same mechanic that they've had in both Odyssey and Valhalla. Technically Origins had lootboxes too but you couldn't buy them with "real" money.

I highly doubt they're going to remove it just for the sake of the game rating. Both Amazon Canada and Best Buy Canada already have it listed for preorder so I don't think it's going to be an issue.

Actually just thinking here, but if this does end up being some kind of actual, real gambling game I wonder how it'll be presented in-game given gambling is explicitly outlawed in Islam >_>

They'll probably just break all established norms and sell the game as normal with zero outrage because it's not sex-related.

xbox and PS probably dont care about this particular AO because loot boxes have been normal for years

however parents might think twice about allowing their kids to buy it because the AO rato my will make them think it must have sex in it

Since when have parents seriously looked at and cared about game ratings?

I highly doubt they're going to remove it just for the sake of the game rating. Both Amazon Canada and Best Buy Canada already have it listed for preorder so I don't think it's going to be an issue.

good.

There's lootboxes in Odyssey and Valhalla? I've put 300+ hours into those games combined and not seen them? They have their real money content shop and you can buy randomly selected items in-game with opal, but I can't recall an actual blind pick.

Dont big name stores refuse to carry AO games?