Cyberpunk 2077 gets an R18+ rating in Australia, alleviating fears of a ban

News
By published

The gritty RPG had many worried it'd raise the ire of Australia's Classification Board.

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Cyberpunk 2077 has sex, drugs, suicide and cruelty, which is pretty stressful if you're Australian: the country's Classification Board doesn't like drugs in particular. The prospect that the game might be refused classification, or censored in some form, has been a point of anxiety for a while. But now you can relax. 

The game's publisher in Australia, Bandai Namco, has confirmed an R18+ rating for Cyberpunk 2077, which is still scheduled to release on September 17. Bandai Namco also sent through the PC box art for the game, which you can see below. Note the rating warns of "high impact themes, sex, violence and references to sexual violence". 

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Australia's classification board is infamous for banning or forcing modifications to games. DayZ was briefly banned last year due to the introduction of marijuana as a gameplay incentive, and We Happy Few has faced a similar problem. For the board, incentivised drug use is a big no no, but drug use in general isn't. 

Earlier this week, CD Projekt Red studio head Adam Badowski confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 "has already been rated by the vast majority of rating boards around the world".

Shaun Prescott
Shaun Prescott
Australian Editor

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.