With the birth of the ESRB in 1994, the days of widespread bans on video games have become more distant. While it wasn’t typical for video games to be marked as illegal, it was much more common before the game rating system’s creation.
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Even with most countries and governments being more flexible with game launches, games can sometimes be banned for distribution in certain regions. Whether it be for understandable or downright bizarre reasons, there are several video games that, if you were to play in certain countries, could lead you to face the full force of the law.
10Scarface: The World Is Yours
Germany has much stricter laws regarding the kind of video games that can be distributed. If a video game violates a part of the Strafgesetzbuch (Germany’s criminal code), playing and selling said game results in a criminal charge.
The 2006 game Scarface: The World is Yours is one of the many games which is illegal in Germany. While the country has lifted bans on several violent video games likeDead RisingandLeft 4 Dead 2, the adaptation of the classic 1983 film is still off-limits.
9Devotion
Sometimes, all it takes is one little insert or joke to have your game go from promising release to being banned in one of the biggest countries in the world. That was the situation developer Red Candle found itself in with its 2021 launch, Devotion.
What got Devotion banned in China was the inclusion of an Easter egg referencing the internet meme of politician Xi Jinping being compared to Winnie the Pooh. Even with the Easter egg being removed, the game is still illegal in the country.
8X-Men: Destiny
Often, the actions of higher-ups and publishers can spell the end for a promising video game for many reasons. Developer Silicon Knights 2011 launch, X-Men: Destiny, became one of the few video games erased because of a ruling in a court of law.
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Along with 2008’s Too Human, X-Men: Destiny was central to a lawsuit between Silicon Knights and Epic Games over the misuse of Unreal Engine 3. When the lawsuit was finalized, X-Men: Destiny was ordered to be taken from shelves forever.
Often, the most common reason why a video game might be deemed illegal in certain countries comes down to violence. While the restrictions on the distribution of violent video games have been relaxed in recent years, some are still restricted across the globe.
Dead Islandis just one example of a violent game banned in certain countries. While Dead Island has seen its ban lifted in some regions of the world, in others, it’s still a crime to play this whacky zombie hack-and-slash video game.
6Gears Of War 4
Loot boxes are one of the most poisonous and dangerous elements of modern gaming. Initially exclusively used in free games, loot boxes have evolved into a predatory online casino, which has landed several developers in boiling hot water.
Belgium decided to handle loot boxes in its own way; they decided to ban numerous video games for including them. One of the biggest casualties wasGears of War 4. Despite the game’s immense gory gunplay, it was the loot boxes that crossed Belgium’s line of legality.
5Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Of all the video games that are on the list of illegal to play in certain parts of the world, some really do stick out. Not for any extreme violence or taboo content, but purely because it doesn’t really have anything that can be considered problematic.
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Despite being one of the most kid-friendly and chill games out there,Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis outright banned in Mainland China because some players used the custom pattern tool to create and post anti-government messages.
4Mass Effect
Bioware’s iconicMass Effectseries has been at the center of numerous controversies throughout the years. While the anger around Mass Effect 3’s ending and the news outrage surrounding Mass Effect 1’s romance scenes come to mind, for certain countries, playing Mass Effect became criminal.
Upon Mass Effect’s launch, many news outlets pushed ill-informed stories about the dangers of Mass Effect’s romance scenes. Yet, in countries like the UAE,Mass Effect’s inclusion of same-sex courtshipwas considered so damaging, it was promptly outlawed.
3Fallout 3
Bethesda’s long-running post-apocalyptic series, Fallout, is set in a world of ravenous raiders, violent mutants, and all manners of immoral acts. Whether it be the game’s violence or mature themes,Fallout 3has been banned in various countries for numerous reasons.
Fallout 3 was previously illegal in Australia due to the inclusion of “morphine” (Med-X in the game), but that ban has since been lifted. But in other countries like India and Saudi Arabia, Fallout 3 is still firmly considered illegal for its troubling content.
2Roblox
Robloxis one of the biggest entertainment properties in the entire world. While it’s been at the center of its fair share of contentious debates, there’s no arguing just how prosperous it has been. Yet, with such widespread success comes extreme scrutiny.
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Roblox has been banned in numerous countries for allegedly harming youth. While some countries like Saudi Arabia have lifted their bans, other countries like Jordan still prohibit Roblox with the same severity as some of the most gruesome games around.
1Bully
Rockstar’s much beloved 2006 gem,Bully, is still reminisced on fondlyamong their passionate fanbase. While the developer has weighed revisiting the Bully IP, considering the game’s previous controversy, Rockstar might hesitate to make a new one.
Bully was banned in numerous countries. In the UK, Bully was illegal because of its title. Rockstar later changed it toCanis Canem Edit(“dog eat dog” in Latin). In Brazil, if anyone was caught selling, playing, or owning a copy of Bully, they’d face a daily fine of R$1,000.00.
