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Ubisoft recently announced Assassin's Creed Mirage as the next title in the series. It came under flak from fans when they realized that the game had been rated "Adults Only" by the US video game ratings board, ESRB, due to the inclusion of "real gambling" in the game.
However, Ubisoft reassured fans with a recent statement given to gaming media outlet Eurogamer that Assasasin's Creed Mirage will not feature any form of lootboxes or gambling.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is yet to get a confirmed release date, but fans are already skeptical over the game's monetization due to Ubisoft's history with microtransactions, lootboxes, and pay-to-win mechanics in their flagship games.
Ubisoft confirms "real gambling" in Assassin's Creed Mirage's ESRB listing was an error
Fans got to know about the game's rating from the US Xbox Store listing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, which warned that the game contains "Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, S*xual Themes, Partial Nudity, and Real Gambling."
The latter particularly stuck out as a sore thumb to most fans who are looking forward to the upcoming title. However, it turns out that the listings were the result of an error since the game is yet to be rated, according to Ubisoft.
Players were hoping Mirage would turn the tides of Ubisoft's monetization practices, but were let down by the game's erroneous rating.
Since Assassin's Creed Unity, Ubisoft has been slowly but surely introducing microtransactions into the series. These have become really aggressive in the last few titles, with the inclusion of XP boosters and post-launch armor sets locked behind a paywall.
Although Ubisoft was quick to address the issue, it remains to be seen how much of it remains true, come the game's eventual release sometime in 2023.
More about Ubisoft's upcoming addition to the Assassin's Creed franchise
Assassin's Creed Mirage is touted as the "return to the roots" experience that fans have been asking for since the franchise diverted to the RPG route with Origins.
Although Ubisoft did not show any gameplay for the upcoming title, they have confirmed that RPG mechanics will be scaled back significantly for Mirage, with more focus being given to stealth, assassinations, and parkour.
The game will also feature call backs to the original title in the series, which was released way back in 2007, since both the games share a common setting. Mirage features Basim Ibn Ishaq as the protagonist of the game, who originally appeared in the last title, AC: Valhalla, and had a prominent role in the game's narrative.
Assassin's Creed Mirage will be available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC in 2023.
