Ubisoft Denies Reports About Assassin’s Creed: Mirage Loot Boxes and ‘Real Gambling’

gamerant.com:

Publisher Ubisoft has officially denied that the Upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Mirage will feature “loot boxes” and “real gambling” after recent listings indicated that was the case. However, a Ubisoft representative assures fans that this was an error and that Assassin’s Creed: Mirage contains no content fitting that description.

In development by Ubisoft’s Bordeaux studio, publishers announced Assassin’s Creed: Mirage on September 1, with a full reveal during the most recent Ubisoft Forward. However, fans became concerned when Mirage arrived on the Xbox digital store, indicating that Mirage received an 18+ Adults Only rating from the ESRB, citing “Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Partial Nudity, Real Gambling.” Xbox’s UK store also listed “Real gambling” and “extreme violence” alongside its PEGI 18 rating.

Assassin's Creed Mirage Price is Lower Than Expected

Adults Only is the highest and rarest rating the ESRB gives out, and most physical retailers refuse to carry games with that rating. While usually associated with extreme violence or graphic sexual content, it also covers games that contain “real gambling.” This term implies that Assassin’s Creed: Mirage players would be spending their real money on in-game games of chance. The ESRB considers this distinct from the more common “simulated gambling” and confers an automatic 18+ rating regardless of other factors.

It’s hard to imagine Assassin’s Creed: Mirage containing gambling in the traditional sense. However, these ratings on the Xbox store raised the specter of Loot Boxes, a controversial chance-based mechanic that some jurisdictions define as gambling. However, a Ubisoft spokesperson cleared this up earlier today, saying that the store pages were