Flouting Maxims and Pragmatic Equivalence in the English–Indonesian Translation of “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows”

I Gusti Ngurah Agung Ekadandi (Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar)
Putu Desi Anggerina Hikmaharyanti (Fakultas bahasa Asing,Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar)

Elysian Journal : English Literature, Linguistics, and Translation Studies
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): Elysian Journal: English Literature, Linguistics, and Translation Studies

This study explores how characters in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows deliberately flout Grice’s conversational maxims and how these subtle pragmatic strategies are carried over into Indonesian translation. The research aims to show not only why these flouts occur in the game’s dialogue, but also how their implied meanings (are maintained?) survive when transferred into another language. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study examined 25 utterances that intentionally break the maxims of Quality, Quantity, Relevance, and Manner, focusing on how each line functions within its original gameplay situation. The analysis reveals that maxim flouting plays an important role in shaping the story: it conveys sarcasm, tension, power dynamics, narrative suspense, and emotional undercurrents that are not directly spoken. The findings also show that these effects remain clear in the Indonesian version through communicative equivalence, allowing the same implications to be understood by players across languages. Overall, this study highlights that maxim flouting in video games is more than a stylistic choice; it is a narrative and cross-cultural communicative tool that helps maintain the story’s intent and emotional weight in translation.