This country banned the debut of Final Fantasy XVI; Square Enix refused censorship

Final Fantasy XVI is undoubtedly one of the most important releases of 2023. The community is very excited, as the release is just over a month away. Unfortunately, thousands of players in a country won't be able to play it.

Unlike most of the Japanese franchise's games that are aimed at a young audience, Final Fantasy XVI presents a dark and serious tone, as it will be an adult experience where the plot will have complex topics. This mature approach is reflected in the rating of the game.

Unfortunately, it seems that the more serious tone affected Square Enix. What happened is that a country decided to ban the release of the JRPG, which will affect all players in the region.

Censorship? Final Fantasy XVI will be out of this country

Specifically, fans living in Saudi Arabia will be unable to play the Japanese role title. Through a Twitter post, the Public Authority for Audiovisual Media in that country confirmed that the video game will not be released because the responsible company refused to make the necessary adjustments.

"For Final Fantasy XVI fans, we would like to clarify that it will not be released in the Kingdom due to the publisher's lack of willingness to make the necessary modifications," reads the official statement.

لمحبي لعبة #FinalFantasyXIV، نود التوضيح بأنها لم تفسح بالمملكة، وذلك بسبب عدم رغبة الناشر بإجراء التعديلات اللازمة.

الهيئة العامة للإعلام #المرئي_والمسموع #تصنيف_الألعاب pic.twitter.com/5OuWZJGEvX

— التصنيف العمري للألعاب الإلكترونية (@Gmedia_Games) May 3, 2023

The Public Authority for Audiovisual Media in Saudi Arabia refrained from revealing what the "necessary modifications" that Square Enix refused to make are. It is possible that the Japanese company decided not to censor the title and keep the adult topics and scenes intact.

As Insider Gaming reminds us, Saudi Arabia has an extensive history of banning games that present violence, representation of drugs and alcohol, nudity or strong language. The Last of Us: Part II, Grand Theft Auto and God of War are some of the titles that were banned in the country.

But tell us, what do you think of this situation? Let us know in the comments.

Final Fantasy XVI will be available for PlayStation 5 on June 22.