‘Halloween: The Game’ Denied Rating in Australia
The refusal blocks digital and physical sales in Australia and New Zealand after regulators flagged controlled substance content, the developer said.
- On August 9, the Australian Classifications Board denied Halloween: The Game a rating, preventing developer IllFonic from selling the title physically or digitally in Australia and New Zealand.
- The Classification Board rejected the title due to in-game drug usage rather than violence involving Michael Myers. Smoking weed provides players map advantages, triggering the board's refusal.
- Prior titles like We Happy Few faced similar rating refusals over drug content. Famously, Fallout 3 changed the healing drug morphine to Med-X to circumvent a comparable ban.
- Pre-Orders for the title on PS5 and Xbox Series platforms have been halted in the region. Halloween: The Game remains scheduled for a September 8 release in other markets.
- Regulatory scrutiny intensifies as GTA Online disabled casino gambling for Australian players last month. The Classification Board's decision reflects ongoing concerns about in-game mechanics tied to controlled substances.
13 Articles
13 Articles
‘Halloween: The Game’ Denied Rating in Australia
We’re less than a month away from when Michael comes home in IllFonic’s Halloween: The Game to PC and consoles. Unfortunately, the Australian Classification Board has put the kibosh on fans down under looking to reserve their copy of the game, as the board has denied Halloween: The Game a rating. Over on X, the official account for the game was doing some promoting of the game ahead of its September 8 release, to which one Australian fan respond…
Halloween: The Game Refused Classification In Australia And New Zealand
IllFonic’s upcoming asymmetric horror game Halloween: The Game has hit an unexpected roadblock in Australia, with the Australian Classification Board (ACB) refusing to grant the title a classification. The decision means the game cannot currently be sold in either Australia or New Zealand in its planned physical or digital form. IllFonic confirmed the outcome on social media, explaining that the issue was not directly connected to Michael Myers …
‘Halloween: The Game’ Has Been Banned in Australia, but Not for the Reason You’d Expect
Horror games have long walked a tightrope with content classification boards around the world, especially when they lean into gruesome kills and iconic slasher villains. Michael Myers, arguably one of the most recognizable killers in horror history, would seem like exactly the kind of character built to draw scrutiny from regulators. Developer IllFonic has spent... The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Has Been Banned in Australia, but Not for the Reas…
Halloween: The Game denied classification in Australia and New Zealand over drug depiction
IllFonic's asymmetric horror title Halloween: The Game has been refused classification by the Australian Classifications Board, barring its sale in both Australia and New Zealand.
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