Final Fantasy 16 Has Been Banned In Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has banned Final Fantasy 16 as it contains certain content that the Commission deems unacceptable.
Final Fantasy 16, one of this year’s most anticipated games, has joined a growing list of gaming titles banned in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a very strict censorship policy regarding audiovisual media, which also includes games. Some of the prominent titles that also didn’t make it to the country include some of the Call of Duty games due to depictions of real-life conflicts, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt due to its depictions of sexual content and use of alcohol, and Grand Theft Auto 5 for just existing.
According to VGC, the Saudi Arabian General Commission for Audiovisual Media stated that Final Fantasy 16 hasn’t been cleared for release in the country, as it contains certain content that the Commission deems unacceptable. For the most part, censorship-heavy countries work with developers to make the necessary changes and meet the release criteria—World of Warcraft used to do it for the Chinese market all the time—but, according to the Commission, Square Enix refused to make the necessary changes.
Some members of the Commission have shared their view on the matter via social media, without naming any names, stating that one of the biggest and most important games in 2023 has been banned due to the developer/publisher’s complete refusal to modify the game’s content to suit the region. It’s still unknown why Final Fantasy 16 wasn’t cleared for release, but it’s worth noting that the Commission has been known for issuing bands due to religious, cultural, and moral sensitivities, as well as excessive violence, sexual content, and addiction.
Unverified sources have stated that—again, without naming any names—the upcoming content features some LGBTQ+ content. If they referred to Final Fantasy 16, the presence of such content would undoubtedly be considered a cause for the game’s ban in the region. Interestingly enough, all of this actually comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is making huge investments in the gaming industry as the country attempts to diversify its income portfolio and reduce its reliance on oil exploitation.
The country that banned Final Fantasy 16 already made sizable investments in Nintendo by acquiring more than 8 percent of the company, becoming the Japanese game-maker’s biggest outside investor. Furthermore, the country bought more than $3 billion worth of stock in Activision Blizzard and the maker of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Electronic Arts, which previously announced massive layoffs due to financial struggles. But that’s not all; Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund also announced plans to invest another $37 billion in gaming acquisitions.
As for Final Fantasy 16, receiving a ban in a whole country is likely to impact sales, but it’s likely that Square Enix will financially recover thanks to their upcoming game with 10,000 microtransactions (obvious sarcasm). But the company did refuse to bend to pressure and alter the game, so any financial loss is on them, too. Final Fantasy 16 is scheduled to launch on June 22, 2023, as a PlayStation 5 times exclusive. Its release on other platforms still hasn’t been announced.
