In just over a week, the Xbox Series X will be commercially available along with all of its launch titles. A month after that, The Medium will launch for the console as one of its first major games. With the promise of ambiance and terror reminiscent of Silent Hill, The Medium is a very promising title for a number of fans. Although, Australian consumers might be in a bit of trouble if they wanted to purchase The Medium at launch.
In the past, the Australian Classification Board has been harsh in terms of game ratings. Numerous titles that were launched in Australia, such as Saints Row 4 and South Park: The Stick of Truth, were released with parts of the game being heavily censored. Every so often, a title will slip through the cracks and have everything be uncensored, like with Cyberpunk 2077, but those instances are fairly rare when it comes to mature games.
It seems that The Medium has hit a pretty large hurdle in terms of its release in Australia, as it has been refused classification in the country. While the game was submitted for classification back in July, it didn't receive an official rating. This could be a system error, as it was rated using the online IARC tool, but given Australia's track record with denying classifications for games due to their content, like with We Happy Few, for instance, this seems somewhat unlikely.
The Classification Board also verified that the game did not receive an application for a physical copy, which unfortunately means that the game won't be available for purchase at launch. Luckily, Bloober Team is actively pursuing ways of releasing the game in Australia and will be resubmitting the title to the Classification Board.
Sadly, this news shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Given how grizzly and terrifying the game has been portrayed in recent trailers and screenshots, and considering how much the game is influenced by Silent Hill — a series that is famously known for its gore and disturbing subject material — it makes sense as to why the Classification Board would potentially take fault with a game like The Medium.
Having said all this, it doesn't necessarily mean that the game won't ever be released in Australia, it just means that The Medium won't be available for purchase when it launches in other regions. Given that other games by Bloober Team, like Layers of Fear, eventually released in Australia, it seems likely that The Medium will be available for purchase in Australia in due time.
The Medium is set to launch on December 10, 2020, for PC and Xbox Series X.
Source: Kotaku