Halloween: The Game is the next multiplayer horror game from Illfonic, the studio behind Friday the 13th and Predator Hunting Grounds. Like Friday the 13th it's an asymmetrical affair: one player takes the form of psychotic masked serial killer Michael Myers, while everyone else plays the hapless survivors. It's set to release on September 9, but when it does, players based in Australia won't be able to buy it.
Illfonic confirmed as much yesterday via its Halloween: The Game X account. "Despite every effort on our part, the Australian Classifications Board has denied Halloween: The Game a rating," it wrote.
"The denial was not based on the presence of the iconic slasher, Michael Myers, or the outstanding kills that can be performed in the game, but rather the presence of a controlled substance. Unfortunately, to our disappointment (and certainly yours) this means that we cannot sell the physical or digital product in both Australia and New Zealand."
Games with the presence of a controlled substance are allowed in Australia, but it depends how they're depicted. If the use of those substances is incentivized, that's a big no-no. And that's apparently what the classifications board has determined is happening here: according to a Bloody Disgusting report from March, citing horror influencer Slash 'N Cast, smoking weed as a survivor can temporarily let you see Michael Myers' "pings across the map." That's exactly the kind of thing the ratings system prevents.
I've reached out to Illfonic to get some clarity on this. I also asked if the studio might tweak the system—or replace the marijuana asset—for the Australian market. Studios like Bethesda and Obsidian have resorted to the latter in the past, while others, like Devolver, have refused: Hotline Miami 2 is still unavailable in Australia.
I couldn't find the particular Refused Classification listing for Halloween on the Classification Board website, though its pre-order content received an automated R18+ rating in July. When I reached out, a spokesperson for the Classification Board provided the following statement:
"The Classification Board has not yet published a decision in relation to Halloween the Game," they said. "When making decisions, the Board, approved classification tools or accredited classifiers apply the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, the National Classification Code and the Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games 2023, all of which are available at www.classification.gov.au/About/Pages/Legislation.aspx."
"Games containing illicit drug use related to incentives or rewards cannot be accommodated within the R18+ classification category and must be Refused Classification under the Guidelines."
Not that I'm questioning Illfonic's statement: Listings for the game have disappeared from all major Australian retail outlets including EB Games and JB Hi-Fi. The landing page is now inaccessible on the PlayStation Store. True to form, Steam hasn't yet acted on the ban, but it's probably only a matter of time.
