Microsoft has confirmed that Gears of War: Reloaded, the remastered edition of the iconic 2006 shooter, will not be released on PS5 in Japan. The remaster, which will launch on August 26, 2025, will still be available for Xbox Series X and S, Xbox PC, Game Pass, and Steam in Japan. 
So, why is it skipping the PS5 release? The reason lies in regional rating restrictions and the strict policies governing platform content in Japan.
The CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization) sets the standards for game ratings in Japan, and games with extreme violence, like Gears of War, often run into issues. The game features brutal combat, including chainsaw guns that allow players to slice enemies apart, a mechanic that likely falls foul of Japan’s rating system. CERO has historically been tough on games that feature gory depictions of body mutilation, with games like The Callisto Protocol and the 2023 Dead Space remake banned for similar reasons.
Despite this, Microsoft is still moving ahead with a Japanese release for other platforms, though. According to Microsoft’s Japanese store page for the game, the title is rated 18+ by the IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) instead of CERO. This suggests that Microsoft opted for a different rating system after failing to secure a CERO Z (18+) classification, which is required for PS5 games to appear on the Japanese PlayStation Store.
Interestingly, the original Gears of War game on Xbox 360 also faced censorship in Japan, with severed limbs edited out of the game. It’s not yet clear if this remastered version will undergo similar edits. For now, fans of the franchise can still enjoy the remaster on Xbox and PC, but PS5 users will miss out.
As for other horror games with violence, it’s interesting to note that Silent Hill and others featuring similar levels of gore have been able to release in Japan, raising questions about the consistency of the rating system. Perhaps Japan’s view on what constitutes acceptable violence in video games is more complicated than we think.