Stellar Blade's age rating has prompted a senior Electronics Arts official to throw shade at Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization. The regulator recently attached a CERO D classification to Stellar Blade, which some industry watchers found surprising.

The CERO system's classification marks go from A through D, and also include a Z rating. The Z mark is equivalent to an ESRB AO or PEGI 18 rating, denoting a game intended for adults only. But unlike many equivalent regulators around the globe, the CERO also commonly refuses to rate games altogether. In that event, the publisher is given a choice between censoring whatever content caused its application to be rejected or accepting what is effectively a nationwide sales ban, at least as far as consoles are concerned.

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EA Japan Boss Frustrated With CERO After Stellar Blade Rating

This is precisely what happened with the critically acclaimed Dead Space remake, which only ended up launching in Japan via Steam after its CERO rating application was refused on account of its depictions of gore. EA Japan General Manager Shaun Noguchi has recently expressed frustrations with this turn of events, prompted by the fact that the regulator awarded a CERO D rating to Stellar Blade, officially deeming it suitable for ages 17 and up.

According to Noguchi, the CERO refused to rate Dead Space due to its inclusion of "cross-sections of severed body parts and internal organs." But not only did Shift Up's upcoming title manage to get rated despite including similar imagery, the uncensored version of Stellar Blade has even evaded the regulator's most restrictive, Z classification. "I find this hard to accept," wrote Noguchi in an April 21 tweet. The EA executive noted that he has thoroughly enjoyed the Stellar Blade demo and has no intention of throwing shade at the game itself, but simply wants to highlight what he perceives is an ambiguous process of obtaining a game age classification in Japan.

Dead Space is far from the only horror title that was unable to obtain a CERO rating in recent memory; The Callisto Protocol was also effectively banned in Japan for a similar reason in 2022. Even some of Japan's most iconic horror series, including Resident Evil and Silent Hill, consistently censor their entries for domestic release. Realistic depictions of decapitations are one common reason for the CERO refusing age ratings, as such scenes are universally banned in Japan.

All CERO Age Ratings

The reason why Stellar Blade managed to obtain a CERO D rating despite its gore may have something to do with the fact that the majority of its violence is aimed at non-humanoid enemies. Ditto for the fact that Dead Space, being a survival horror game, goes to greater lengths to highlight its gore, thus being inherently more graphic.

Stellar Blade

Stellar Blade is an action-RPG developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game follows protagonist Eve as she attempts to save a devastated Earth from invaders called Naytiba.

Platform(s)

PS5

Released

April 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Shift Up

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Genre(s)

Action RPG