With the birth of the ESRB in 1994, the days of widespread bans on video games have become more distant. While it wasn't typical for video games to be marked as illegal, it was much more common before the game rating system's creation.
Even with most countries and governments being more flexible with game launches, games can sometimes be banned for distribution in certain regions. Whether it be for understandable or downright bizarre reasons, there are several video games that, if you were to play in certain countries, could lead you to face the full force of t𝐆he law.
10 💧 🔴 Scarface: The World Is Yours
Germany has much stricter laws regarding the kind of video games that can be distributed. If a video game violates a part of the Strafgesetzbuch (Germany's criminal code), playing and selling said game results in a criminal charge.
The 2006 game Scarface: The World is Yours is one of the many games which is illegal in Germany. While the country has lifted bans on several violent video games like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dead Rising and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Left 4 Dead 2, the adapt♕ation of the classic 1983 film is still off༺-limits.
9 Devotion
Sometimes, all it tak꧑es is one little insert or joke to have your game go from promising release to being banned in one of the biggest countries in the world. That was the situation developer Red Candle found itself in with iಌts 2021 launch, Devotion.
What got Devotion banned in China was the inclusion of an Easter egg referencing the internet meme of politician Xi Jinping being compared to Winnie the Pooh. Even wit꧒h the Easter egg being removed, the game is still illegal in the country.
8 🌟 💟 X-Men: Destiny
Often, the actions of higher-ups and publishers can spell the end for a promising video game for many reasons. Developer Silicon Knights 2011 launch, X-Men: Destiny, became one of the few ♊video games erased because of a ruling in a court of law.
Along with 2008's Too Human, X-Men: Destiny was central to a lawsuit between Silicon Knights and Epic Games over the misuse of Unreal Engine 3. When the lawsuit was finalized, X-Men: Destiny was ordered to be taken from shelves forever.
7 🃏 Dead Island ജ
Often, the most common reason why a video game might be deemed illegal in certain countries comes down to violence. While t🤡he restrictions on the distribution of violent video games have been relaxed in recent years, some are still restricted across the globe.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dead Island is just one example of a violent game banned in certain countries. While Dead Island has seen its ban lifted in some regions of the world, in others, it's still a crime to play this whacky zombie hack-and-slash video game.
6 ꩲ Gears Of War 4
Loot boxes are one of the most poisonousဣ and dangerous elements ൲of modern gaming. Initially exclusively used in free games, loot boxes have evolved into a predatory online casino, which has landed several developers in boiling hot water.
Belgium decided to handle loot boxes in its own way; they decided to ban numerous video games for including them. One of the biggest casualties was 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Gears of War 4. Despite the game's immense gory gunplay, it was the loot boxes that crossed Belgium's line of legality.
5 🅘 ♎Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Of all the video games that are on the list of illegal to play in certain parts of the world, some really do stick out. Not for any extreme violence or taboo content, but purely because it doesn't really have anything that can be considered problematic.
Despite being one of the most kid-friendly and chill games out there, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Animal Crossing: New Horizons is outright banned in Mainland Chꦜina because some players used the custom pattern tool to create and post anti-government messages.
4 Mass ꦬEffect
Bioware's iconic 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mass Effect series has been at the center of numerous controversies throughout the years. While the anger around Mass Effect 3's ending and the news outrage surrounding Mass Effect 1's romance scenes come to mind, for certain countries, playing Mass Effect became criminal.
Upon Mass Effect's launch, many news outlets pushed ill-informed stories about the dangers of Mass Effect's romance scenes. Yet, in countries like the UAE, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mass Effect's inclusion of same-sex courtship💧 was considered so damaging, it was promptly outlawe🙈d.
3 Fallout 3
Bethesda's long-running post-apocalyptic series, Fallout, is set in a world of ravenous raiders, violent mutants, and all manners of immoral acts. Whether it be the game's violence or mature themes, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fallout 3 has been banned in various countries for numerous reason🌳s.
Fallout 3 was previously illegal in Australia due to the inclusion of "morphine" (Med-X in the game), but that ban has since been lifted. But in other countries like Indiaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ and Saudi Arabia, Fallout 3 is still firmly considered illegal for its troubling content.
2 Roblox
Roblox is one of the biggest entertainment properties in the entire world. While it's been at the center of its fair share of contentious debates, there's no arguing just how prosperous it has been. Yet, with such widespread success comes extreme scrutiny.
Roblox h🐻as been banned in numerous countries for allegedly harming youth. While so🌌me countries like Saudi Arabia have lifted their bans, other countries like Jordan still prohibit Roblox with the same severity as some of the most gruesome games around.
1 Bully
Rockstar's much beloved 2006 gem, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Bully, is still reminisced on fondly among their passionate fanbase. While the developer has weighed revisiting the Bully IP, considering the game's previous controversy, Rockstar might hesitate to make a new one.
Bully was banned in numerous countries. In the UK, Bully was illegal because of its title. Rockstar later changed it to Canis Canem Edit ("dog eat dog" in Latin). In Brazil, if anyone was caught selling, playing, or owning a copy of Bully, they'd face a daily fine of R$1,000.00.