Halloween: The Game, slated for release on September 8, will not be available for purchase in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian Classification Board has denied the game a rating, citing the depiction of a controlled substance as the reason. While specific details remain scarce, content creator Slash 'N Cast previously shared that the game features a mechanic where players can smoke marijuana. This in-game action reportedly allows players to see Michael Myers' pings on the map, offering a gameplay advantage.
Under Australian classification guidelines, while controlled substances can be depicted in video games, they cannot provide a gameplay benefit, as this is seen as incentivizing drug use. This policy appears to be the direct cause for the game's denial of a rating in Australia.
The exclusion from New Zealand is less straightforward, as the country operates under a separate classification system. Although a cross-rating system exists, it does not extend to media classified as mature or restricted, nor to titles that have been denied altogether. This means that Halloween: The Game would have required a separate submission to New Zealand's Classification Office.
A similar situation occurred in 2022 with the game Rimworld, which was initially denied a rating in Australia due to substance use depictions. A resubmission, emphasizing the negative consequences of in-game drug use, eventually led to its approval. However, Rimworld was not subject to a ban in New Zealand at the time, likely because it was submitted to the New Zealand Classification Office independently.
One theory circulating online suggests that developer Illfonic may have opted not to pursue a separate rating for New Zealand, potentially deeming the market too small to justify the classification fee. This decision could also extend to the absence of oceanic servers, as a significant portion of players in that region are Australian, potentially leading to underutilized servers.
Despite the current unavailability in both countries, some fans remain hopeful that Illfonic will reconsider. The game has been described as a horror title that understands and effectively builds its design around the terrifying nature of Michael Myers. Halloween: The Game is set to launch on Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation on September 8.