Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2 is just around the corner, but it appears that the PS4-exclusive title may not see an official release in the Middle East.
The Last Of Us Part 2 Banned In Middle East?
The news comes after a Reddit user contacted PlayStation Support about the title, which responded that any games not showing up on the region’s PlayStation Store effectively means it has been banned. Here is the quote below, albeit slightly edited:
If any game does not exist in any Store region it means that the game is banned by the competent authorities of the country and we can not do anything regarding that.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates do not allow users to purchase The Last of Us Part 2 from their stores, although the official theme and avatars can still be downloaded. Sadly, this does appear to confirm that the game has been banned there.
So, why is the game banned? Well, a quick look at the ESRB rating for The Last of Us Part 2 confirms it has nudity, sexual content, and LGBT themes, content which has been banned before in Saudi Arabia, including those featured in game such as God of War, Heavy Rain, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
That’s not to say users in those regions can’t buy the game. For starters, there’s third-stores who will likely import the game, and there’s always the option of buying it from other PlayStation Stores using pre-paid PlayStation Store cards.
The Last of Us Part 2 is due out on June 19.
Source: DualShockers