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Deep Silver’s Saints Row IV has once again been blocked from release in Australia.
A three-member panel of the Classification Review Board has unanimously determined that the computer game Saints Row IV is classified Refused Classification,” a new statement from the Australian Classification Board confirmed.
In the Review Board’s opinion, Saints Row IV could not be accommodated within the R 18+ classification as drug use related to incentives and rewards is not permitted.”
Last month Saints Row IV became the first game to be banned in the territory since its introduction of a new supposedly mature-friendly R18+ certificate.
The Board said its decision then was based on visual depictions of implied sexual violence which are not justified by context” and that the game includes elements of illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards”.
It is unknown whether the game will be amended and re-submitted to the territory for a third attempt at classification.
UPDATE: Deep Silver has told MCV that a revised version of the game has been resubmitted for classification.
"Today the Australian Classifications board confirmed that the ‘Refused Classification’ status of Saints Row IV has been upheld. The review of the content of Saints Row IV had been given following an appeal launched by Deep Silver in June and is pertaining to the full game. The offending content has now been removed and the modified version submitted for review. With this content removed, Deep Silver are confident that the game will be classified and will be available for purchase by Australian Saints Row fans."
