After much concern, it turns outSilent Hill fwon’t be banned in Australia — at least not right now — according to an official statement from the Australian Classification Board clarifying the situation.Silent Hill fwill feature a lot of violent imagery and heavy themes, and despite an initial report thatSilent Hill fwas seemingly banned in Australia without an official reason, it turns out this was a mistake.
The following article briefly mentions the following topics: child abuse, torture, and violence. This article includes some speculation that this may be aimed at the game’s teenage protagonist.
Steviorshared a statement from the Australian Classification Board, which claimed that the game is not banned in Australia, saying, “Silent Hill f is not currently classified as ‘Refused Classification’ in Australia.“The statement continues, saying:“The 31 May 2025 entry on the National Classification Database has been removed, and a classification decision will be published to the National Classification Database ahead of the game’s release.”
This statement from the Australian Classification Board asserts thatthe game is not currently banned in Australia. The page forSilent Hill fon theAustralian Classification Board’s websitehas been removed.
The Confusing Status For Silent Hill F Might Be Due To Automation
The Former Banned Classification Is Speculated To Be Because of AI
Stevior and other sources are speculating the game’s initial ban was a result of a self-report using the Australian Classification Board’s automated system. As explained byIGN, the self-report tool is"a classification system designed for mobile and digitally delivered games"overseen by theInternational Age Rating Coalition. TheIARC’s classification system is a simple questionnaire where users can answer questions regarding the game’s content, and then the product will get an automatic rating.
In Australia,this tool can only be used for digitally-released games and tends to skew higher than ratings completed by humans, according to IGN. In 2019,Kingdom Come: Deliverancewas reported to have been banned because of this auto-system when it had, in fact, not been banned.
All physical releases in Australia are required to be rated by the Australian Classification Board itself, and theClassification Board can override any auto-ratingthat may be given.
Whatever The Case, Silent Hill F Will Be A Heavy Game
Silent Hill F May Not Be Out Of The Woods Just Yet
However,Silent Hill f’s final rating and fate in Australia is still questionable. While the game isn’t currently banned, itappears a classification has not been made at all regarding the game, with a final rating to be determined, WithSilent Hill f’sstoryset to feature extreme violence, torture, and other heavy topics, its ultimate fate is a little ambiguous at the moment.
Silent Hill F’s Release Date May Be Sooner Than Expected
As fans wait patiently for Silent Hill F, the highly-anticipated next entry in the legendary survival-horror franchise may be right around the corner.
According to the game’sSteampage, the game will feature: “gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence.” With the lead character being a teenager and some of this violence possibly aimed at her, andanother upcoming game banned in Australiadue to similar reasons regarding minors,Silent Hill fmay not be banned right now, but it could receive a ban or require censoring when a final rating classification is determined.
As far as we know right now, it may not be banned at all. Either way,Silent Hill fhas the potential to be the heaviest entry in the franchise’s history.
