The fighting game Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact has been denied classification by Australia’s notoriously strict rating board, effectively banning the game in the country. The decision was made by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts Classification Board, citing concerns over “implied sexual violence.”
While the board’s decision details are not outlined on the official rating website, the classification refusal invites inquiries for further information. However, statement from the Australian Classification Board sheds light on the issue, noting that the game “contains a scene of a visual depiction of implied sexual violence, where an adult male exposes himself to persons under the age of 18 years.”
The denial is a significant setback for Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact, the first full-fledged fighting game based on the beloved manga and anime series. Scheduled for a 2025 release, the game promises 3v3 team battles centered around the unique Nen abilities of its iconic characters. Whether the publisher, Arc System Works, will appeal the decision or make alterations to comply with the board’s standards remains to be seen.
This is not the first time Australia’s Classification Board has taken a hardline stance against games it deems unsuitable. Just last month, Hotline Miami 2 was removed from sale on PlayStation in Australia. Sony refunded PS5 owners who had purchased the game in an unprecedented move. This incident occurred nearly a decade after the game’s initial controversy when it was initially refused classification in 2015 due to a scene depicting simulated sexual violence, even though the scene was skippable.
The response to that ban was particularly notable, with designer Jonatan Söderström famously encouraging Australian fans to pirate the game if they wanted to play it. His comments underscored the frustration many developers and gamers feel about the board’s stringent guidelines, which have frequently clashed with the broader industry’s evolving standards of content.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact joins a growing list of titles that have faced similar scrutiny in Australia. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between creators seeking to push narrative and artistic boundaries and regulatory bodies aiming to enforce strict content guidelines. As fans await news of how Arc System Works will respond, the controversy serves as another reminder of the unique challenges developers face when releasing games in certain regions.