Reports Of Silent Hill F Getting Banned By Rating Board Were Premature, It Seems
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Silent Hill F recently re-emerged after several years of radio silence with an impressive trailer, showcasing a new chapter in the series that will be set in Japan circa the 1960s. Currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, there is some confusion surrounding the game and if it’ll go on sale in Australia. Over the weekend, reports of it being refused classification in Australia popped up, which would mean that Silent Hill F would not be allowed to be sold in that country. But that might not be the full story here.
What has actually happened is that the Australian Classification Board has not rated the game at all, and as noted by former GameSpot video producer Edmond Tran, the game was submitted by Konami through the International Age Rating Coalition. This is a classification initiative built to streamline the acquisition of content ratings for video games through various authorities. It’s more nuanced than submitting and getting a game approved, but as another user pointed out, being refused classification on the IARC does not impact a local Australian release and this is more a case of the game not meeting ACB requirements.
Got a response from the Classification Board on this one: “Silent Hill f is not currently classified as ‘Refused Classification’ in Australia.” The entry has been removed and a decision will be published “ahead of the game’s release”
— Edmond Tran (@edmondtran.bsky.social) March 24, 2025 at 8:03 AM
For Silent Hill F to be refused classification in Australia, it would have to contain some extreme content like instructions on how to commit violence or depictions of several forms of sexual assault. What we do know about the game so far is that Konami has confirmed a number of sensitive topics will be explored in the game, including gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence. Depending on how these themes are presented, Konami might still have an uphill battle in getting Silent Hill F approved for sale in Australia.
