We will provide you with updates once we learn more about what version of the game will see a global release. Hopefully Red Barrels will release another statement soon about the tweaks made to the game for the Australian board. Despite this, Red Barrels has provided a statement that says there will only be one version of the game being released worldwide. So it’s uncertain what the “modified” label from the Classification Board website actually means. A report from GameSpot states that no changes to the game were made for the re-submission of Outlast 2. No reason has been given by the Classification Board for their sudden change of heart for the upcoming horror game. In an interview with Press Start, Red Barrels stated that “there will only be one version of Outlast 2 available worldwide”. However, the developer has provided a statement on the issue. The Classification Board website states that they were provided a “modified” version of the game. The new ruling comes almost a week after the initial refusal for classification. The rating comes with warnings of “high impact horror themes, violence, blood, gore and sex” but it doesn’t go into detail about them. It confirms that the game now has a R18+ rating.
This means that the game can now get a Australian release.Ī new entry for Outlast 2 was published on the Australian Government Classification Board earlier this week. The game has now been successfully classified and given a rating. Clearly, some of these messages have been heard and it will be interesting to see whether the Board is more lenient with its classifications going forwards.Last week we told you that Outlast 2 had been effectively banned in Australia. The decision to deny Outlast 2 a rating prompted a debate across the nation - even politicians became involved, with one senator urging censors to "leave gamers alone". It's no secret that the Australian Classification Board can be strict when it comes to the content of video games, with several violent or explicit titles banned from release over the years - even the after the creation of the R18+ rating back in 2011. The classification warns that the game will have 'High Impact' with its themes, violence and sex, alon with strong language, nudity and moderate references to drug use. "There will be only one version of Outlast 2 available worldwide," the studio said. However, local games site Press Start has revealed that the Australian Classification Board has since reviewed the game again and is allowing it to be released on April 26th with a rating of R18+.Ī statement from the developer also confirms that no changes have been made to the game, nor has an Australia-only version been produced. Outlast 2, Red Barrels' forthcoming first-person survivial horror sequel, was originally refused classification not only for its violence but also one particular scene that contained implications of sexual violence. Original Story: In a remarkably rare turn of events, the classification board of Australia has decided to give a rating to a game it previously deemed unfit for release. Red Barrels' statement offered no further detail on the exact content of the video file, but the clear implication is that the Australian Classification Board's initial decision was based on content that shouldn't have been submitted in the first place. There will be only one version of Outlast 2 available worldwide." The game was then approved for release with an R18+ rating.
"In the second submission, the same game code was submitted, with a video file reflecting the final game content. In a statement released today, Red Barrels said that the build that troubled the Australian Classification Board contained "a video file for reference taken from an Alpha version of the game." That video file was not supposed to be included, the studio said, and what it depicted "was not representative of the final game." Update: The story around the classification of Outlast 2 in Australia has taken another turn, with Red Barrels Studio claiming that the version of the game submitted to the Classification board was never intended for public consumption.