Silent Hill f Banned in Australia

Konami's highly anticipated game, Silent Hill f, has encountered a classification hurdle in Australia, receiving a Refused Classification (RC) rating. This rating means that, for the time being, the game cannot be sold in Australia. However, the RC rating was assigned by an automated tool from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), not by the Australian Classification Board directly. Historical precedents suggest that this might not be the final decision on the game's availability in Australia.

Konami does not handle local distribution in Australia, and IGN has reached out to their third-party distribution partner for further comments on this matter.

The specific reasons behind Silent Hill f's RC rating have not yet been disclosed. Since the introduction of the R18+ category for games in Australia in January 2013, games typically receive an RC rating for content involving sexual activity with individuals who appear to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or incentives linked to drug use. An earlier Silent Hill game, Silent Hill: Homecoming, was initially refused classification due to a high-impact torture scene but was released after modifications and received an MA15+ rating.

It's important to note that Silent Hill f's RC rating was determined by an IARC online tool, designed for mobile and digitally delivered games. This tool uses a questionnaire to assess the game's content, automatically assigning ratings based on the standards of participating countries, including Australia. The decision is then published on Australia's National Classification Database.

The IARC tool, which Australia adopted in 2014 to manage the flood of digital game releases (with over 40,000 games on the iOS app store annually), is used exclusively for digitally distributed games. There have been instances where the automated ratings from IARC have been higher than those given by human assessors at the Classification Board. For example, games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few were mistakenly reported as banned in Australia due to IARC ratings.

The IARC tool's free usage is a boon for smaller publishers and developers. However, any physical release of a game in Australia must still be rated by the Classification Board, meaning that if Silent Hill f plans a physical release, it would require a direct submission to the Board, which can override any IARC decision.

In Australia, game publishers can employ accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers, who are trained by the Classification Board, can make official classification decisions. Authorized assessors can only provide recommendations, which the Classification Board may or may not accept.

At this stage, it's premature to conclude whether Silent Hill f's RC rating will remain after further review. Notably, Silent Hill f marks the first game in the franchise to receive an 18+ rating certification in Japan.