Country rankings

Banned Video Games by Country

Banned Video Games by Country: compare 30 countries on 2 metrics.

Law30 countries · 2 metricsUpdated Sep 23, 2024Original page
2 sources

Data

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30 countries
Afghanistan1996–2001: All videogames| 2001-onward: PlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsWestern technology and bad influence
AlbaniaOnline gambling contentSince 2016
ArgentinaCarmageddon, RapeLayViolent and sexually explicit content
AustraliaSeveral hundred games and mobile appsNumerous video games have been banned from Australia due to receiving an RC rating.
BelgiumCall of Duty: Mobile, FIFA 17+4Due to the usage of "loot boxes" (which constitute gambling under the country's existing laws) and their equivalents.
BrazilEverQuestMainly due to depictions of violence and cruelty. The Brazilian advisory rating system requires that all video games be rated by the organization, where unrated video games are banned from being sold in Brazil.
ChinaAlliance of Valiant Arms, Animal Crossing: New Horizons+7A very large number of video games are banned in mainland China., Games that depict drugs, sexuality, blood, organized crime or defamation of the Chinese government are almost always banned.+1
GermanyCommandos: Behind Enemy Lines, Condemned: Criminal Origins+4A video game can be banned in Germany if it is confiscated by court orders because it violates a section of the Strafgesetzbuch (criminal code).| StGB § 86a outlaws the use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations [Nazi imagery in particular]; representation of excessive v…
GuatemalaRobloxIt can violate the safety of children and adolescents.
IndiaClash of Kings, Fallout 3+4Cultural sensitivities, violence, and the Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese-owned apps.
Iran1979 Revolution: Black Friday, ARMA 3+4Iran typically bans any game that contains excessive violence, depicts cruelty, features strong sexual content or nudity, or portrays the Middle East negatively.
IraqFortnite| PlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsNegative effects caused by some electronic games on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society.
IrelandManhunt 2 (ban rescinded)Banned for "gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence", but the ban was later lifted and the game was given a PEGI 18 rating.
Japan—Video games are rarely banned in Japan, and it holds the place as one of the top video game producers in the world. However, Western game companies may edit or censor their games to avoid the potential to offend Japanese players., One example of this is the Japanese version o…
MalaysiaGrand Theft Auto series, Manhunt series+1Malaysia tends to ban potentially offensive content such as extreme violence, depictions of cruelty, anti-Muslim content, sexual content, and nudity.
MexicoTom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2Game was banned in the state of Chihuahua due to its depiction of Mexican rebels as antagonists and for stereotyping the cities of Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juárez. However, the game could still be found in shelves in other parts of Mexico.
OmanRobloxBecause of online daters and scammers.
PakistanCall of Duty: Black Ops II, Medal of HonorDue to their portrayal of Pakistan as a failed state where terrorist organizations openly operate.
PhilippinesDefense of the AncientsWhile no video games are banned nationwide so far since 1986, at least one title, Defense of the Ancients, has been banned at a barangay in Dasmariñas, Cavite., The ban followed complaints of delinquency issues, and two murder incidents which resulted from brawls in relation …
RussiaFor Freedom Ichkeriya: BAMUTLargely due to the game's negative representation of the country., Contrary to popular belief, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which contains a mission titled "No Russian" in which Russians slaughter civilians in an airport, is not banned in Russia. However, the mission in qu…
Saudi ArabiaFinal Fantasy XVI, The Last of Us Part IITypically banned for graphic violence, sexual content, or nudity., Most banned games can be found in many stores (often at a substantial price) due to a lack of government enforcement of bans. However, not all major stores will stock banned titles.
SingaporeThe Darkness, Half-Life+1Violence and homesexual content.
South KoreaHomefront, Manhunt series+1Since 2006, South Korea has banned video games only on rare occasions. Even before 2006, games were very rarely banned unless they portrayed war between North Korea and South Korea., However, Manhunt, Manhunt 2, and Mortal Kombat are still banned because of violence and cruelty.
ThailandGrand Theft Auto series| Tropico 518-year-old Thai player supposedly influenced by Grand Theft Auto killed a taxi driver from Bangkok., Tropico was said to have the potential to "affect peace and order".
TurkeyRobloxMany requests and recommendations have been made to ban games featuring violence (particularly against women) since as early as the 2000s. However, no bans have taken place.
UkraineMortal Kombat 11Graphic blood and gore and depictions of communist symbolism, which is banned per Ukrainian law
United Arab EmiratesBlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Darksiders+6Violence and sexual themes, nudity, gambling, contradicting with customs and traditions., These titles are banned from mainstream physical retail.+2
United KingdomCarmageddon, Manhunt 2+3Games in the UK usually only fail to receive a certification rating (effectively a ban) when they contain graphic sex scenes and/or gratuitous violence.
United States—Games are a form of protected speech in the US and cannot be banned—although at least three have been recalled by court order: The Guy Game (underaged nudity), Too Human, and X-Men: Destiny (both for software copyright infringement)., However, the Entertainment Software Ratin…
UzbekistanCall of Duty: Black Ops, Doom+5Authorities in Uzbekistan banned a number of games over concerns that they could be "used to propagate violence, pornography, threaten security and social and political stability".

Quick answers

Where does this banned video games by country data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: List of banned video games by country - Wiki; Banned Videogames in Brazil - Media Classification.

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