Silent Hill f Banned in Australia

Konami's eagerly anticipated Silent Hill f has hit a snag with its classification in Australia, receiving a Refused Classification (RC) rating. This means the game cannot currently be sold in the country. However, it's worth noting that this rating was issued by an automated tool rather than by members of the Australian Classification Board. Given past experiences, it's likely that this isn't the final word on the matter.

Konami does not handle its own distribution in Australia; instead, they work through a third-party partner. IGN has reached out to this partner for their perspective on the situation.

The exact reasons behind Silent Hill f's RC rating remain undisclosed. Since the introduction of the R18+ category for games in Australia back in January 2013, games are typically refused classification only if they contain sexual activity with individuals appearing to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or incentives tied to drug use. A previous Silent Hill title, Silent Hill: Homecoming from 2008, faced a similar issue due to a high-impact torture scene. However, this was before the R18+ category existed, which now allows for higher levels of violence. Silent Hill: Homecoming was eventually released with modifications to the contentious scene, receiving an MA15+ rating.

It's important to understand that Silent Hill f's RC rating was generated by the International Age Rating Coalition's (IARC) online tool, which is designed for mobile and digitally delivered games. This tool uses a questionnaire to assess a game's content and automatically assigns ratings based on each participating country's standards. In Australia, the IARC tool has been utilized since 2014, mainly for digitally-distributed games, due to the sheer volume of games released annually on platforms like the iOS app store. There have been instances where the IARC tool has assigned higher ratings than those later determined by the Australian Classification Board, as seen with games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few in 2019.

The IARC tool offers a cost-free solution that's particularly advantageous for smaller publishers and developers. Nonetheless, physical game releases still require a direct assessment by the Classification Board. Should Silent Hill f plan for a physical release in Australia, a submission to the Board would be necessary anyway, and the Board has the authority to override any IARC-assigned rating.

In Australia, game publishers have the option to employ staff as accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers undergo training from the Classification Board and can make official classification decisions. Authorized assessors, on the other hand, provide recommendations that the Board may or may not accept.

It remains to be seen whether Silent Hill f's RC rating will stand after further review. Interestingly, this game marks the first in the Silent Hill series to receive an 18+ rating certification in Japan.