Silent Hill f has hit a roadblock in Australia, with the Australian Classification Board (ACB) slapping it with a “Refused Classification” (RC) rating. In plain terms? The game can’t be legally sold, rented, or even imported into Australia unless Konami makes some changes and tries again.
The ban news broke around March 23, just weeks after Konami showed off more of the game. Interestingly, the ACB hasn’t spelled out exactly why they dropped the hammer – their listing just notes the RC status without getting into details, though anyone curious enough can contact the board directly to ask.
It’s not hard to guess what might have crossed the line, though. It’s received an 18+ rating in Japan, the first Silent Hill title to do so. Konami’s own Steam page for Silent Hill f warns about some pretty heavy stuff: “gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence” all set in 1960s Japan. The ESRB description is equally concerning, mentioning disturbing scenes including “faces ripped apart,” “a character burned alive inside a cage,” and “entrails on serving platters.”
The game seems so intense that Konami added an unusual warning: “If you feel uncomfortable at any point while playing, please take a break or speak to someone you trust.” That’s not something you see every day!
The Australian classification system typically refuses games for specific content concerns: depicting sexual activity with characters appearing to be under 18, showing sexual violence, or rewarding players for drug use in gameplay.
This isn’t Silent Hill’s first rodeo with Australian censors. Back in 2008, Silent Hill: Homecoming got banned for a particularly nasty torture scene involving drilling. They eventually released a toned-down version in 2009 that made it through.
Other titles like Hotline Miami 2, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Saints Row 4 have all been denied classification. Most recently, the fighting game Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact received a similar ban in December.
The silver lining? Silent Hill f doesn’t have a release date yet, so Konami has time to figure out what to do – appeal the decision, edit the Australian version, or just accept that Aussie gamers might have to miss out.
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