List of banned video games by country

During the first reign of the Islamic Emirate government in Afghanistan (1996–2001), Western technology and art was prohibited and this included video games. Between 2001 and 2021, no video games were officially banned in Afghanistan, except for ''PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. In April 2022 Taliban spokesperson Inamullah Samangani confirmed that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds'' is still banned under the Taliban administration to 'protect younger generations from a bad influence'. ==Albania==

In 2019, a ban on online gambling went to effect in Albania. ==Argentina==

Carmageddon was banned in the capital city of Buenos Aires because it depicts people being killed by motor vehicles. RapeLay was banned because it promotes and supports the use of violence to compel a person to submit to sexual conduct, as well as the exploitation of young people for sexual purposes. ==Australia==

By Australian law, all media is rated by the Australian Classification Board (ACB), with works potentially receiving MA15+ (Mature Accompanied 15+), R18+ (Restricted 18+), X18+ (Restricted 18+), or even denied at rating (RC, Refused Classification). The ratings are enforced by law, restricting retail sales of R18+ and X18+ works to adult consumers and preventing the sale or import of RC works. Penalties may vary up to 3 years in prison, or $200,000 in fines. Until 2011, video games in Australia could only be rated up to MA15+. At the time, the R18+ classification rating could be given to films, but a video game with content deemed fitting for the R18+ rating would be classed as 'Refused Classification' due to an appropriate classification not being available for the medium. In July and August 2011, all Australian state Attorneys-General agreed to instate an R18+ rating for video games, which would be available by the end of 2011. Many games previously refused classification would now fit into the R18+ rating and, if the publisher chose to pay the reclassification fee, would theoretically be able to sell their game in Australia. The date was later changed to allow the rating to be introduced at the beginning of 2013. Due to the licensing of the International Age Rating Coalition software for developers to rate their own game, several hundred games have been banned from various app stores as of 2015. ==Belgium==

In Belgium, games such as Phantasy Star Online 2, FIFA 17, Gears of War 4, Mario Kart Tour, Call of Duty: Mobile and others have been banned due to the usage of loot boxes (which constitute gambling under the country's existing laws) and their equivalents. More are expected to be banned for the same reason. ==Brazil==

Since 1999, Brazil has banned several video games, primarily due to depictions of violence and cruelty, making their distribution and sale illegal. The Brazilian advisory rating system requires all video games to be rated before they can be sold in the country. Bully was banned for showing violence and harassment in a school setting. The ban was lifted on 23 June 2016; the game can be acquired in physical and non-physical format through Steam. Counter-Strike was banned because of violence and a map simulating a Favela in 2008. The ban was later lifted and the game is available for sale. EverQuest was banned because the player is able to go on quests for both good and evil. The ban was later lifted. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City was banned in Barueri because it uses music by the Brazilian composer Hamilton da Silva Lourenço without proper permission. It has been resolved and was lifted in 2012. ==China==

A large number of games were banned throughout China. Home gaming consoles were banned in mainland China from June 2000 until 2013. When the ban was lifted, eighth-generation consoles such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were allowed in the country. As of April 2019, after implementing a new mandatory local rating and approval system, any and all games containing depictions of violence, blood, gambling and imperial history are de facto banned from all accessible platforms in the nation (unless otherwise changed to comply with local standards). Notable games banned in this region are: ==Cuba==

No video games have ever been banned in Cuba, but few games were sold in that country until 2007 when restrictions were eased. In 2010, the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops generated a lot of controversy as there is a mission where the player attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, only to end up killing a double. ==Germany==

The list of confiscated video games was published as part of the official "BzKJaktuell" magazine by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media. The list was last published in issue 1/22. No further list entries are known since then, although some titles have since been removed from the list. Video games that have been confiscated by a court in Germany may no longer be sold, even to adults (however, private possession and use are permitted). The list of confiscated media should not be confused with the List of Media Harmful to Young People (also known colloquially as The Index), as indexed video games are not considered banned. However, indexed video games are subject to strict restrictions and may only be offered and sold to adults. From 2003 to April 2021, the List of Media Harmful to Young People was kept in four parts: • Liste A contains physical media classified as harmful to minors (similar to an “adults only” rating). • Liste B contains physical media which, in the opinion of the review panel, have criminal content. • Liste C contains online media classified as harmful to minors (similar to an “adults only” rating). • Liste D contains online media which, in the opinion of the review panel, have criminal content. Liste C and Liste D contain online media and are not published because the content is accessible without barriers. These lists are contained as an encrypted database in online search engines or optionally in routers or youth protection filters. Although inclusion in Liste B did not yet mean a ban, some titles were later confiscated by a court, so an entry on Liste B was often seen as a warning not to continue distributing the game in Germany (even if an entry in the Liste B is not a prerequisite for confiscation), although some games were moved to Liste A after a re-examination. Video games that have been rejected by the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle are not banned. These games may also only be offered and sold to adults on the German market. List of games confiscated by court in Germany Since 2018, several games have had their bans lifted. List of games added to the Liste B by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media in Germany Some games were added to the Liste B and later transferred to Liste A or removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People altogether. ==Greece==

The Law 3037/2002 banned all electronic games in public places in the hopes that it would fight illegal gambling in the country. It was repealed in 2011. ==India==

On 22 October 2008, Microsoft announced that Fallout 3 would not be released in India for the Xbox 360 platform. Religious and cultural sentiments were cited as the reason. Although the specific reason was not revealed, it is possible that it is because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, which was considered sensitive to religious beliefs. Brahmin is the name of a social class of Hindu priests and religious scholars. The spelling of Brahmin is also similar to Brahman which connotes the highest universal principle, the Ultimate Reality of the universe in Hinduism. Following concerns that the violence depicted in PUBG Mobile would affect youth detrimentally, the game was first banned in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Rajkot of Gujarat, as well as in the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir. Under the initial terms, players could be prosecuted for playing the game. The game was later banned nationwide due to mishandling of data on 2 September 2020, along with Rules of Survival, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Clash of Kings as a part of the Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese-owned apps following the border skirmishes between the two countries. Later, an India-exclusive version of PUBG Mobile that complied with data rules, Battlegrounds Mobile India was released by Krafton. Free Fire was banned in India following government action against apps linked to Chinese companies, citing national security and data privacy concerns. The game was removed from app stores as part of broader restrictions affecting multiple digital services associated with China. ==Indonesia==

Mortal Kombat 11 was banned in Indonesia because of excess violence and gore as well as depiction of communist symbolism which is strictly banned in the country. The game had featured bloody battles. ==Iran==

1979 Revolution: Black Friday focuses on the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and was banned for presenting "false and distorted information" regarding the revolution, and for being anti-Iranian. ARMA 3 was banned due to the game's portrayal of a fictional faction, which includes Iran and is an enemy of NATO. Battlefield 3 was banned because it presented a fictional U.S. invasion on Iran. Even before the ban, many retail stores were removing copies of the game from their shelves. Clash of Clans was banned because it encourages violence, tribal war and is extensively addictive, as the government states. Call of Duty: Mobiles services were cancelled by developer Activision for unspecified reasons, but thought to involve United States sanctions against Iran. Pokémon Go was banned due to security reasons. Minecraft became unavailable in Iran due to Microsoft’s compliance with U.S. sanctions and international legal requirements affecting software and online services. == Iraq ==

''PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was banned because of perceived negative effects caused by some electronic games on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society. However, the ban is not in effect in Iraq anymore, reverted by a new prime ministerial ruling. In 2025, the game Roblox'' was banned after concerns of child safety and encouraging violence, and it happens after the Schlep Case that had shown attention to the cases to the attack of predators on minors on the platform. ==Republic of Ireland==

The IFCO rarely rates video games and leaves decisions to PEGI and the BBFC. Manhunt 2 was banned for "gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence", but the ban was later lifted and the game was given a PEGI 18 rating. ==Italy==

In 2006, following the release of the trailer to the game Rule of Rose, the magazine Panorama ran an article claiming live burials of children at the protagonist's hand. Shortly after, then-mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, called for a ban of the game in Italy. The game's European publisher, 505 Games, dismissed these claims, and the game was not banned following Veltroni's comments. In 2007, following the decision of the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Minister of Communications Paolo Gentiloni publicly expressed the desire to ban the distribution of Manhunt 2 in Italy, due to the gratuitous violence and excessive cruelty in the video game, but the ban was never put into practice. ==Japan==

Video games are rarely banned in Japan, and it holds the place as one of the top video game producers in the world. However, for some games, usually western, they may edit or censor their games if they appear offensive to Japan, an example being the Japanese release of Fallout 3. "The Power of the Atom" quest was edited to relieve concerns about atomic detonation in inhabited areas and the Fat Man weapon was renamed to the Nuka Launcher due to its relation to the real historic event. Another example is the Japanese version of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back in which a death animation that has Crash squashed into a head and feet was altered due to its resemblance to the Kobe child murders. Japan's Spike removed all references to Kim Jong-il and North Korea in Homefront, as well. Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Bulletstorm, Gears of War 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Dead Island, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Just Cause 2 and numerous other violent titles, distributed physically and digitally, were heavily edited for excessive violence, but only on the localization level; the games can still be played if the locale is switched from Japanese to English. On 13 March 2019, the sales of Judgment had stopped producing future sales in Japan, following Pierre Taki's arrest on suspicion of cocaine use. As a result, Sega had replaced both the voice actor and the character model having been subsequently removed. As of November 2022, video game The Callisto Protocol has been banned in Japan. CERO would not be rating due to the game's violent content and the developer refused to make the necessary changes. Previously, the Dead Space series encountered the same fate, with all entries since the original 2008 release effectively being banned in Japan. ==Malaysia==

Malaysia tends to ban offensive content such as extreme-impact violence, depictions of cruelty, any content considered anti-Muslim, sexual content and nudity. In August 2008, after the Grand Theft Auto series ban in Thailand (see below), head of a Malaysian consumer rights organization, Muhammad Idris, called for the ban of the entire Grand Theft Auto series and other similarly violent video games such as the Manhunt series and Mortal Kombat. In September 2017, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) blocked access to the entire Steam store following the discovery of a controversial fighting game involving religious deities, Fight of Gods. The ban was lifted one day later after Valve agreed to block the game in Malaysia. ==Mexico==

''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2'' was banned in the state of Chihuahua due to Mexican rebels being depicted as antagonists and stereotyping the cities of Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juárez. However, the game could still be found in shelves in other federal entities. ==Nepal==

PUBG was banned because of delinquency issues involving youths. Currently, the ban has been lifted. ==New Zealand==