Hotline Miami 2 Denied Classification In Australia, Devolver Responds

Yesterday, the Australian Classification Board refused to classify Dennaton Games’ Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. This effectively bans the game in the land down under.

The reasoning for the decision is as follows, according to the ratings board:

The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table, 1. (a) as computer games that "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.

A report received by Kotaku Australia provides more detail, though we warn readers that the description provided by the Classification Board is quite graphic. Today, publisher Devolver Digital responded to the decision, rebutting an account in the report.

“First, to clear up any possible misconceptions, the opening cinematic that was first shown in June of 2013 has not changed in any way,” the publisher says. “We also want to make clear that players are given an (sic) choice at the start of the game as to whether they wish to avoid content that alludes to sexual violence. The sequence in question is presented below in context, both after choosing the uncut version of the game and after choosing to avoid content that alludes to sexual violence.”

Note: The depictions in the video below may be disturbing to some readers. 

In particular, Devolver takes issue with the Classification Board’s description of parts of the more graphic version of the scene in the video above. “Second, in response to the report itself, we are concerned and disappointed that a board of professionals tasked with evaluating and judging games fairly and honestly would stretch the facts to such a degree and issue a report that describes specific thrusting actions that are not simply present in the sequence in question and incorrectly portrays what was presented to them for review,” the publisher writes.

Devolver and Dennaton do not intend to challenge the ruling. “We stand by our developers, their creative vision for the storyline, its characters and the game and look forward to delivering Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number to fans very soon,” the company says.

The Australian ratings board adopted an R18+ rating in early 2013, but that hasn’t stopped the organization for declining to classify a number of games. Undead Labs’ State of Decay wasn’t originally accepted due to drug references.

Saints Row IV also had a bump in the road thanks to the “Rectifier” weapon that is one part alien anal probe and one part rocket launcher. The weapon was removed and the game was released in Australia.  

[Source: Kotaku Australia, Australian Classification Board, Devolver Digital]

Our Take
There is a difference between violence and sexual violence, and Devolver and Dennaton’s choice to give players the option to avoid the latter is a smart move. It’s one thing to be declined classification for the content in the game, but when the board justifies itself with material that doesn’t actually exist, it’s clear that the deck is stacked.