Left 4 Dead 2 Banned in Australia

It looks like the dead won't be rising down under anytime soon

Posted on Sep 16, 2009 - 11:19pm EST

Left 4 Dead 2 was slated for a mid-November local release, but events today have put a giant question mark over the launch after news came that the Australian Classification Board had put its legislative foot down. The Classification Board is the government body responsible for rating all video games content authorised for sales in the country. According to the Classification Board website, Valve's upcoming first-person shooter has been refused classification for failure to adhere to the current maximum MA15+ ratings guideline--film can reach a maximum R18+ rating. The announcement means the title is now illegal to sell, rent, or promote within Australia.

GameSpot AU contacted the game's local distributor, EA, seeking clarification as to why the title was refused classification. An EA spokesperson confirmed the ban, but declined to comment on the possibility of edits or resubmission saying "We're still working through the submission process with the [Classification Board], we want to explore all opportunities before we can make a comment." The Classification Board was unavailable to provide an overview of the reason for the ban at time of print.

Left 4 Dead 2 marks the fourth game banned in Australia this year, joining Risen, Sexy Poker, and Necrovision--the latter two of which were approved for sale after being resubmitted with changes. The original Left 4 Dead game was given the maximum MA15+ rating when it went on sale in Australia in November last year.