Final Fantasy 16 Receives a Ban in a Country, Find out More

Final Fantasy 16, one of the most eagerly awaited game releases of the year, has been banned in Saudi Arabia by the country’s Public Authority for Audiovisual. This development is likely to disappoint fans of the franchise in the region.

While Final Fantasy 16 remains grounded in the series’ traditions, it also ventures into new territories. A notable distinction between Final Fantasy 16 and its predecessors is its M-rating from the ESRB, making it the first main series Final Fantasy game to receive such a classification. This M-rating implies that Final Fantasy 16 will contain more mature content than its franchise counterparts.

Reasoning Is Unclear At Present

The specific reasons for the ban in Saudi Arabia remain unclear at this time, other than Square Enix’s refusal to implement certain changes requested by Saudi Arabia’s Public Authority for Audiovisual Media. It is plausible that the M-rated content contributed to the ban, but other factors could also be at play. Until further clarification emerges, fans can only speculate about the reasons behind the ban.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Authority for Audiovisual Media (responsible for age ratings of movies, games, etc.) has released an announcement saying that FF16 will not be released in the country due to the publisher’s “unwillingness to make necessary changes.”

Makes you wonder what… https://t.co/aPqDbgjOhY

— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) May 3, 2023

The M-rating has divulged intriguing insights into the game, giving fans a taste of what to expect when it debuts next month. Final Fantasy 16 is confirmed to feature blood and gore, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language, and violence. The game’s sexual content may have contributed to its ban in Saudi Arabia, but this remains speculative.

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Delving further into the M-rating could reveal Final Fantasy 16 story spoilers, but it is safe to say that the game will include some graphic acts of violence. Square Enix appears to be taking a bold approach with Final Fantasy 16, and it will be fascinating to see how long-time franchise fans respond to this change in tone upon its release in June. This comes after the title was given gold status which on the day was amazing news. No-doubt today’s news will put a damper on things but there is still a tremendous amount of hype about the game as one would expect.