Konami's upcoming game, Silent Hill f, has been refused classification (RC) in Australia, preventing its sale in the country at this time. However, this RC rating was assigned by an automated tool from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), rather than by actual members of the Australian Classification Board. Given past precedents, it's unlikely that this will be the final decision.
Konami does not handle its own distribution in Australia, and IGN has reached out to their third-party distribution partner for comment on the situation.
The specific reasons for Silent Hill f's RC rating have not been disclosed yet. In Australia, since the introduction of the R18+ category for games in January 2013, games are typically refused classification only if they include sexual activity with a person who appears to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or incentives and rewards tied to drug use. For instance, Silent Hill: Homecoming was initially refused classification in 2008 due to a high-impact torture scene, but this was before the R18+ rating was introduced. It was later released with altered camera angles and received an MA15+ rating.
It's worth noting that *Silent Hill f*'s RC rating in Australia was assigned by the IARC's online tool, designed for mobile and digitally delivered games. This tool uses a questionnaire to assess a game's content and automatically assigns ratings based on the standards of participating countries. In Australia, the IARC tool's decision is published automatically on the National Classification Database.
In Australia, the IARC tool is used exclusively for digitally-distributed games. It was adopted in 2014 due to the overwhelming number of games released annually on platforms like the iOS app store. There have been cases where the IARC's automated ratings tend to be higher than those assigned by the Australian Classification Board. For example, in 2019, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few were reported to be banned in Australia, but this was not the case.
The IARC tool is free, which is advantageous for small publishers and developers. However, all physical releases still require a rating from the Classification Board. If Silent Hill f plans a physical release in Australia, a submission to the Classification Board would be necessary regardless of the IARC rating. The Classification Board has the authority to override any IARC-assigned rating.
In Australia, game publishers can employ staff as accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers are trained by the Classification Board and can classify games independently, with their decisions recognized as official. Authorized assessors can only make recommendations to the Classification Board, which then decides whether to adopt them.
At this point, it's premature to determine if Silent Hill f's RC rating in Australia will be upheld after further review. Interestingly, Silent Hill f is the first game in the series to receive an 18+ rating in Japan.
