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List of banned video games by country
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This is a list of video games that have been censored or banned by governments of various states in the world. Governments that have banned video games have been criticized for a correlated increase in digital piracy, limiting business opportunities and violating rights.[1][2][3]
 | This list needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
Afghanistan
During the first reign of the Islamic Emirate government in Afghanistan (1996–2001), Western technology and art was prohibited and this included video games.[4][5][6][7] Between 2001 and 2021, no video games were officially banned in Afghanistan, except for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.[8] In April 2022 Taliban spokesperson Inamullah Samangani confirmed that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is still banned under the Taliban administration to 'protect younger generations from a bad influence'.[9]
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Albania
In 2019, a ban on online gambling went to effect in Albania.[10][11] When Dead Rising 2 released in Albania, retailer Albagame refused to sell copies of it over alleged gambling. Prime Minister Edi Rama threatened to ban the game in response to the anti-gambling law.[citation needed]
Argentina
Carmageddon is banned in the capital city of Buenos Aires because it depicts people being killed by motor vehicles.[12]
RapeLay is banned because it promotes and supports the use of violence to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct, as well as the exploitation of young people for sexual purposes.[13][14]
Australia
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By Australian law, all media is rated by the Australian Classification Board (ACB), with works potentially receiving MA15+ (Mature Accompanied 15+), R18+ (Restricted 18+), X18+ (Restricted 18+), or even denied at rating (RC, Refused Classification). The ratings are enforced by law, banning retail sales of R18+ and X18+ works to adult consumers and preventing the sale or import of RC works. Penalties may vary up to 3 years in prison, or 200,000$ in fines.[15]
Until 2011, video games in Australia could only be rated up to MA15+. At the time, the R18+ classification rating could be given to films, but a video game with content deemed fitting for the R18+ rating would be classed as 'Refused Classification' due to an appropriate classification not being available for the medium. In July and August 2011, all Australian state Attorneys-General agreed to instate an R18+ rating for video games, which would be available by the end of 2011.[16] Many games previously refused classification would now fit into the R18+ rating and, if the publisher chose to pay the reclassification fee, would theoretically be able to sell their game in Australia. The date was later changed to allow the rating to be introduced at the beginning of 2013.[17]
Due to the licensing of the International Age Rating Coalition software for developers to rate their own game, several hundred games have been banned from various app stores as of 2015.[18]
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Belgium
In Belgium, games such as Phantasy Star Online 2, FIFA 17, Gears of War 4, Mario Kart Tour, Call of Duty: Mobile and others have been banned due to the usage of loot boxes (which constitute gambling under the country's existing laws) and their equivalents. More are expected to be banned for the same reason.[19]
Brazil
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Since 1999, Brazil has banned several video games, primarily due to depictions of violence and cruelty,[20] making their distribution and sale illegal.[21][22] The Brazilian advisory rating system requires all video games to be rated before they can be sold in the country.[20] However, since 2022, developers are allowed to self-rate their games using rating symbols approved by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), provided the game is submitted through a participating digital storefront.[23]
Bully was banned for showing violence and harassment in a school setting.[24] The ban was lifted on 23 June 2016; the game can be acquired in physical and non-physical format through Steam.[25]
Counter-Strike is banned because of violence and a map simulating a Favela in 2008. The ban was later lifted and the game is available for sale.[26][27]
EverQuest was banned because the player is able to go on quests for both good and evil.[26][28] The ban was later lifted.[29]
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City was banned in Barueri because it uses music by the Brazilian composer Hamilton da Silva Lourenço without proper permission.[30] It has been resolved and was lifted in 2012.[31]
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People's Republic of China
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A large number of games were banned throughout China. Home gaming consoles were banned in mainland China from June 2000[32][33] until 2013. When the ban was lifted, eighth-generation consoles such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were allowed in the country.[34]
As of April 2019, after implementing a new mandatory local rating and approval system, any and all games containing depictions of violence, blood, gambling and imperial history are de facto banned from all accessible platforms in the nation (unless otherwise changed to comply with local standards).[35][36][37][unreliable source?][dubious – discuss]
Notable games banned in this region are:
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Germany
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The list of confiscated video games was published as part of the official "BzKJaktuell" magazine by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media.[54] The list was last published in issue 1/22. No further list entries are known since then, although some titles have since been removed from the list.
Video games that have been confiscated by a court in Germany may no longer be sold, even to adults (however, private possession and use are permitted).
The list of confiscated media should not be confused with the List of Media Harmful to Young People (also known colloquially as The Index), as indexed video games are not considered banned. However, indexed video games are subject to strict restrictions and may only be offered and sold to adults.[55]
From 2003 to April 2021, the List of Media Harmful to Young People was kept in four parts:
- Liste A contains physical media classified as harmful to minors (similar to an “adults only” rating).
- Liste B contains physical media which, in the opinion of the review panel, have criminal content.
- Liste C contains online media classified as harmful to minors (similar to an “adults only” rating).
- Liste D contains online media which, in the opinion of the review panel, have criminal content.
Liste C and Liste D contain online media and are not published because the content is accessible without barriers. These lists are contained as an encrypted database in online search engines or optionally in routers or youth protection filters.
Although inclusion in Liste B did not yet mean a ban, some titles were later confiscated by a court, so an entry on Liste B was often seen as a warning not to continue distributing the game in Germany (even if an entry in the Liste B is not a prerequisite for confiscation), although some games were moved to Liste A after a re-examination.
Video games that have been rejected by the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle are not banned. These games may also only be offered and sold to adults on the German market.[56]
As of 15 November 2024, all games without a USK rating are de-facto delisted and forbidden for sale on all digital platforms in Germany after a reimplementation of the laws. Of course the same rule applies where if they're bought outside of Germany, the individual is allowed to own them.[57]
List of games confiscated by court in Germany
Since 2018, several games have had their bans lifted.
List of games added to the Liste B by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media in Germany
Some games were added to the Liste B and later transferred to Liste A or removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People altogether.
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Greece
The Law 3037/2002 banned all electronic games in public places in the hopes that it would fight illegal gambling in the country. It was repealed in 2011.[158]
India
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On 22 October 2008, Microsoft announced that Fallout 3 would not be released in India for the Xbox 360 platform.[159] Religious and cultural sentiments were cited as the reason.[160] Although the specific reason was not revealed, it is possible that it is because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, which was considered sensitive to religious beliefs. Brahmin is the name of a social class of Hindu priests and religious scholars. The spelling of Brahmin is also similar to Brahman which connotes the highest universal principle, the Ultimate Reality of the universe in Hinduism.[161]
PUBG Mobile was banned because of extreme level of violence. The move came after a direction from the states of Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir seeking a ban on the game, as it was claimed to affect the minds of youths. It was banned in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Rajkot of Gujarat, as well as all of Jammu and Kashmir including border areas .[162] Players were prosecuted for playing the game.[163] The game was later banned nationwide due to mishandling of data on 2 September 2020,[164][165] along with Rules of Survival, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Clash of Kings as a part of the Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese-owned apps[166] following the border skirmishes between the two countries. Later, an India-exclusive version of PUBG Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India was released by Krafton.
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Indonesia
Mortal Kombat 11 is banned in Indonesia because of excess violence and gore as well as depiction of communist symbolism which is strictly banned in the country. The game had featured bloody battles.[167][168]
Iran
1979 Revolution: Black Friday focuses on the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and was banned for presenting "false and distorted information" regarding the revolution, and for being anti-Iranian.[169]
ARMA 3 is banned due to the game's portrayal of a fictional faction, which includes Iran and is an enemy of NATO.[170]
Battlefield 3 is banned because it presented a fictional U.S. invasion on Iran. Even before the ban, many retail stores were removing copies of the game from their shelves.[171]
Clash of Clans is banned because it encourages violence, tribal war and is extensively addictive, as the government states.[172]
Call of Duty: Mobile's services were cancelled by developer Activision for unspecified reasons, but thought to involve United States sanctions against Iran.[173]
Pokémon Go is banned due to security reasons.[174]
Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni is banned for excessively glorifying homosexuality and immoral values via eroge style animation.[citation needed] However, the ban does not extend to digital distributions.[175]
Iraq
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was banned because of perceived negative effects caused by some electronic games on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society. However, the ban is not in effect in Iraq anymore, reverted by a new prime ministerial ruling .[176]
Republic of Ireland
The IFCO rarely rates video games and leaves decisions to PEGI and the BBFC. Manhunt 2 was banned for "gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence", but the ban was later lifted and the game was given a PEGI 18 rating.[177]
Italy
In 2006, following the release of the trailer to the game Rule of Rose, the magazine Panorama ran an article claiming live burials of children at the protagonist's hand. Shortly after, then-mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, called for a ban of the game in Italy. The game's European publisher, 505 Games, dismissed these claims,[178] and the game was not banned following Veltroni's comments.
In 2007, following the decision of the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Minister of Communications Paolo Gentiloni publicly expressed the desire to ban the distribution of Manhunt 2 in Italy, due to the gratuitous violence and excessive cruelty in the video game, but the ban was never put into practice.[179]
Japan
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Video games are rarely banned in Japan, and it holds the place as one of the top video game producers in the world.[180] However, for some games, usually western, they may edit or censor their games if they appear offensive to Japan; an example being the Japanese release of Fallout 3. "The Power of the Atom" quest was edited to relieve concerns about atomic detonation in inhabited areas and the Fat Man weapon was renamed to the Nuka Launcher due to its relation to the real historic event.[181] Another example is the Japanese version of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back in which a death animation that has Crash squashed into a head and feet was altered due to its resemblance to the Kobe child murders. Japan's Spike removed all references to Kim Jong-il and North Korea in Homefront, as well.[182] Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Bulletstorm, Gears of War 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Dead Island, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Just Cause 2 and numerous other violent titles,[citation needed] distributed physically and digitally, were heavily edited for excessive violence, but only on the localization level; the games can still be played if the locale is switched from Japanese to English. On 13 March 2019, the sales of Judgment had stopped producing future sales in Japan, following Pierre Taki's arrest on suspicion of cocaine use. As a result, Sega had replaced both the voice actor and the character model having been subsequently removed.[183] As of November 2022, video game The Callisto Protocol has been banned in Japan.[184] CERO would not be rating due to the game's violent content and the developer refused to make the necessary changes.[185][186] Previously, the Dead Space series encountered the same fate, with all entries since the original 2008 release effectively being banned in Japan.[187][188]
Malaysia
Malaysia tends to ban offensive content such as extreme-impact violence, depictions of cruelty, any content considered anti-Muslim, sexual content and nudity. In August 2008, after the Grand Theft Auto series ban in Thailand (see below), head of a Malaysian consumer rights organization, Muhammad Idris, called for the ban of the entire Grand Theft Auto series and other similarly violent video games such as the Manhunt series and Mortal Kombat.[189][190] In February 2010, one week after Dante's Inferno was released, the game was banned by the Jabatan Agama Islam (JAIS), a Muslim organisation in Malaysia, for depictions of Judeo-Christian hell iconography which was against Sharia, as well as cruelty and sexuality.[citation needed]
In September 2017, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) blocked access to the entire Steam store following the discovery of a controversial fighting game involving religious deities, Fight of Gods.[191] The ban was lifted one day later after Valve agreed to block the game in Malaysia.[192]
Mexico
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 was banned in the state of Chihuahua due to Mexican rebels being depicted as antagonists and stereotyping the cities of Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juárez.[193] However, the game could still be found in shelves in other federal entities.[citation needed]
Nepal
PUBG and Roblox were banned because of delinquency issues involving youths.[194] Currently, the ban has been lifted.[195]
New Zealand
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In New Zealand, games are classified by the country's Office of Film and Literature Classification. If they are dubbed "objectionable" in all cases, they are banned. In this case, the game in question is not only illegal to sell, but also to own, possess, or import. Penalties may vary up to 2 years in prison, or 100,000$ in fines. Games are typically banned and classified as "objectionable content" when they contain extreme violence, offensive depictions of cruelty, animal cruelty, sexual content involving minors, or graphic depictions of sexual content, including sexual fetishes that are "revolting or abhorrent" (such as depictions of urination, bestiality, necrophilia, urophilia, coprophilia, and/or incest).
Pakistan
On 1 July 2022, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority banned PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) after a teenager allegedly shot his family of four after binging the video game for days.[211] The ban caused turmoil among the youth, whose protests mounted pressure against the regulator. It was eventually unbanned after nearly a month.[212]
Games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Medal of Honor have also been banned in Pakistan due to their portrayal of the country as a failed state where terrorist organizations openly operate.[213]
Philippines
In 1981, a presidential decree issued by Ferdinand Marcos outlawed the use and distribution[214] of video game consoles, arcade games and pinball machines, deeming them as a "destructive social enemy"[215] and "to the detriment of the public interest".[216][217]
While no video games have been banned nationwide since 1986, at least one title, Defense of the Ancients, has been banned in a barangay in Dasmariñas, Cavite following complaints of delinquency issues, and two murder incidents involving youths in the area resulting from brawls in relation to the game.[218] The ban, however, only covers internet cafes and does not extend to privately-and-individually-owned PCs in private homes.
Russia
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In Russia, games are classified by the "On Countering Extremist Activity" federal law and are included in the "Federal List of Extremist Materials".
Media in the United States and Europe have incorrectly reported that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which features a storyline in which Russian ultra-nationalists take control of the country and invade the United States, was banned in Russia. Activision called these reports "erroneous".[219] Instead, a censored version of the game was published, omitting the controversial "No Russian" level.[citation needed] This also presumably[original research?] prevented the game from being released on consoles in Russian, with only a PC version officially available.[citation needed]
Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, few games are being released because many game developers are ceasing operations in Russia.[220]
Saudi Arabia
Most banned games can be found in many stores due to a lack of government enforcement of bans (often at a substantial price). However, not all major stores will stock banned titles.[226]
Singapore
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Singapore has banned games in the past and still occasionally does (including a ban on arcades nationwide from 1983 to the 1990s).[citation needed] With the implementation of the Video Game Classification in 2008 by the Media Development Authority, most games are widely available for purchase to their respective age group, such as those containing full frontal nudity or strong graphic violence under an "M18" rating. Games that were previously banned such as Mass Effect were re-rated either "Age Advisory" or "M18" after the implementation of the classification system.[citation needed]
South Korea
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Since 2006, South Korea has only banned video games on rare occasions. Even before this, games were very rarely banned unless that game mentioned elements of the Korean War in order to avoid tensions between the countries North Korea and South Korea. However, Manhunt, Manhunt 2, and Mortal Kombat are still banned because of violence and cruelty. Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction were previously banned, but the bans were later lifted.[235]
The Game Rating Board requires that all video games be rated by the organization.[citation needed] Unrated titles are banned from being sold in the country, and websites selling them can be blocked.[citation needed]
Thailand
Since August 2008, all video game titles of the Grand Theft Auto series have been completely banned in Thailand,[239] because of a case where an 18-year-old Thai player supposedly influenced by Grand Theft Auto killed a taxi driver from Bangkok.[240] The ban, however, does not extend to the digital PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V.[241]
Tropico 5 is yet another banned title. The ruling military junta at the time claimed that it could "affect peace and order" within the country.[242]
United Arab Emirates
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In the United Arab Emirates, a branch of the government called the National Media Council (NMC) works to control the media and entertainment industry in the country, and they have the authority to issue bans on any specific media products, including video games, to comply with the country's legal and cultural values. Usually, the NMC do not explicitly state their actual consensus for any kind of issued ban on a product, so official reasons behind their bans remain unclear. However, bans issued by the NMC apply only to the sale of those products through local outlets; they do not make private ownership illegal. There are certain exceptions, notably for Spec Ops: The Line (see below). Some banned games may be available and sold on the nation's grey market.[citation needed]
In 2018, the NMC introduced a localised rating system for various media, including video games.[243]
The following titles are banned from mainstream physical retail. However, unlike Saudi Arabia, most of these games can still be seen on digital storefronts such as the PlayStation Store.
United Kingdom
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Games in the UK usually only fail to receive a certification rating (effectively a ban) when they contain real sex scenes and/or gratuitous violence. BBFC age ratings are compulsory and backed by legislation, taking effect 30 July 2012.[273] It is illegal to sell, buy or rent, but not import, a game that has not been classified by an approved age rating organisation in the UK. This only applies to games stored on physical media, not downloadable media.[274]
United States
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In the United States, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)—a self-regulatory organization—issues ratings for video games and enforces voluntary regulations on how they are marketed and sold.[283] The Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association—which challenged a California law restricting the sale of "violent video games" (defined using a variation of the Miller test separate from ratings assigned by bodies such as the ESRB) to minors, insisting that video games were considered a protected form of expression under the First Amendment, meaning that federal or state law cannot be used to regulate their distribution based on content.[284][285]
However, games can still be recalled as the result of court orders; a nude model featured in The Guy Game sued its developer and publisher over use of her likeness, as she was underage at the time of filming and thus could not personally consent to her depiction. All remaining copies of the game that contained her likeness were recalled from stores.[286][287] In 1989, a court found that the Tengen version of Tetris for the Nintendo Entertainment System had violated Nintendo's exclusive right to publish home console versions of Tetris, ordering Atari Games to recall the game and destroy all remaining copies. In 2012, a court found that Silicon Knights had plagiarized Epic Games' proprietary Unreal Engine, and had used it in Too Human and X-Men: Destiny, along with other unreleased projects. The studio was ordered to recall and destroy all remaining copies, materials, and source code relating to the games.[288][289]
The ESRB's highest rating, "Adults Only", has been considered a total ban on the mainstream sale of certain games, as most retailers refuse to stock games carrying the rating, and they cannot be published on major video game consoles due to company policies.[290][291][292][293] The release of Thrill Kill, an AO-rated fighting game with extreme violence and strong sexual themes, was outright cancelled by Electronic Arts (who had acquired its developer) due to objections over its content.[294] Following the discovery of an incomplete sex minigame that was not included in the final game but was still present in the game's code and could be accessed using a modification or cheating device, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was re-rated Adults Only and recalled by Rockstar Games, in favor of a new revision of the game that omitted the offending content entirely and carried the original Mature rating.[295][296][297]
On 18 January 2025, Marvel Snap was pulled from the App Store and Google Play Store as a result of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) being signed into law, with the app also preventing players from logging back in. This was due to security concerns being raised over the game's publisher, known as Nuverse, whose parent company, ByteDance, was accused of collecting sensitive data, alongside their other applications (most notably the social media platform TikTok) and potentially sharing such information with the government of China, the company's origin of operation, which is recognized as a foreign adversary of the United States.[298]
Ukraine
Mortal Kombat 11 is banned in Ukraine due to high-impact blood and gore and depictions of communist symbolism, which is banned per Ukrainian law.[167]
Negligee: Love Stories is not officialy banned in Ukraine, but Dharker Studios decided to not release this game on Steam due to explicit sexual content and nudity. The game was also not released in several other countries for the same reason, including Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Botswana, China, Egypt, Germany, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.[299]
Uzbekistan
Authorities in Uzbekistan banned a number of games over concerns that they could be "used to propagate violence, pornography, threaten security and social and political stability", most notably first-person shooters such as Call of Duty: Black Ops and Doom, horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat and even relatively non-violent simulations such as The Sims. The ban was condemned and ridiculed for taking precedence over more important societal issues and a waste of time and effort.[300]
Vietnam
Vietnam refused to release the 1992 title Mega Man 5 due to the Napalm Man level resembling conflicts of the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975. It still remains absent in the country today.[301] The country also banned the game Madden NFL 22. [citation needed]
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