A Game Was Just Refused Classification In Australia

This is a little strange.

The game is called MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death. It’s a dungeon crawling RPG. It’s sort of amazing it’s even coming to Australia in the first place.

But here’s the strange part: MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death received a ‘teen’ rating in the US (13 years and up) and ‘B’ in Japan (12 years and above) but in Australia it has been refused classification.

The Classification Board has described MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death as a game that deals with “matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults.”

We’ve asked the Classification Board to send us a copy of the full report to clarify precisely why the game was refused classification.

In the US, MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death was given a teen rating as a result of “fantasy violence and suggestive themes”. The classification report also refers to a scene in which a child under the age of 18 appears to be involved in sexual conduct. With our without an R18+ rating, that sort of content has always been a big issue with the classification guidelines, particularly when sex is incentivised in any way.

Still, it feels strange that a video game is being refused classification again. It took over a decade for Australia to finally receive an R18+ classification and it’s been (mostly) smooth sailing since then, with Hotline Miami 2 being the most recent casualty. It’s very strange that MeiQ: Labrinth of Death, a game rated for teenagers in other territories, has caused issues.

We’ll update if we manage to receive a copy of the full report.