Shear localization is studied in simulated amorphous systems containing individual nanocrystalline inclusions. Systematic variation of the inclusion diameter and the shear band thickness reveals a crossover in length scales that separates distinct plastic flow mechanisms in and around the nanocrystalline inclusion. When considered relative to the shear band thickness, small inclusions deform via heterogeneous, interface-dominated mechanisms, while large inclusions yield via the homogeneous nucleation of dislocations in the nanocrystal interior; nanocrystals roughly twice as large as the shear band width are required for the strongest interaction.The mechanisms and mechanics of deformation in amorphous materials have been the subject of extensive investigation by both experiment and simulation (see, for example, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]). The process of shear localization is of particular interest in this regard, as shear banding is often the dominant means of plastic strain accommodation in amorphous solids and, therefore, governs the macroscopic mechanical response. From recent works on amorphous metals in particular, it is becoming clear that crystalline inclusions embedded within an amorphous system can also play a critical role in the system mechanics [13][14][15]. Such crystallites may be present either as an unintended consequence of the processing or mechanical history of a specimen [16][17][18], or perhaps by design, with the intent to manipulate the mechanical properties of a glass [19][20][21][22][23][24].Although there is a growing experimental database of macroscopic mechanical properties for amorphous metals containing nanocrystal inclusions, the mechanisms by which embedded nanocrystals influence glass plasticity are unclear. For example, it is generally known that partial devitrification increases the hardness of amorphous metals [17,21,22], although it is unclear whether the hardening mechanism is, for example, a chemical effect stemming from phase separation, a mechanical suppression or dispersion of shear bands, or some combination thereof [21,23].