No UK release for We Dare

‘Controversial’ Wii and PS3 title We Dare will not be released in the UK.

A statement from Ubisoft says the decision was made "following the public reaction to the 12+ rating of We Dare".

The game, quietly announced in January and only gaining attention last month thanks to a provocative teaser trailer, was criticised in media reports for carrying a relatively young age rating despite being billed as featuring "naughty" but "hilarious, light-hearted" and playful content.

The game was rated PEGI 12.

We Dare is a minigame title that is pitched as putting players in compromising situations – the trailer for the game featured two couples swapping partners and facing awkward gameplay scenarios when following on-screen instructions.

The Sun and The Telegraph both ran pieces decrying the content, with quotes from angered parents, even though the footage of the ad was not entirely reflective of the on-screen game content. (Ubisoft’s admission that it has shelved the UK release plans were first published in The Telegraph this evening.)

However, ratings body PEGI, its governing organisation ISFE, and the VSC – which implements PEGI in the UK – had all come out in defence of the game’s rating.

Ubisoft had even added a ‘parental guidance’ label to the box art to make it clear the game isn’t suited for all audiences.

The game will still be released elsewhere in Europe. Ubisoft North America had already told Kotaku the game wasn’t being released in that territory.