Games News

Tajikistan has enacted a ban on the distribution of the video games Counter-Strike and Grand Theft Auto (GTA), citing concerns about the games containing violent and immoral content.

The country's interior ministry announced that police in the capital, Dushanbe, will conduct raids and inspections of computer gaming centers suspected of selling these games. The ministry said,

Young people and teenagers who regularly play these games come under their negative influence and commit various crimes.

The ministry urged parents to monitor their children's activities and discourage them from playing games that promote killing, theft, and violence.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a 2024 US first person shooter published by Activision

The game was banned by Kuwait government censors in October 2024. The government has reportedly blocked the game from being sold in stores or downloaded digitally.

In a statement from publishers Activision, the company confirmed the news:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has not been approved for release in Kuwait. At this time, the title will not be available for release in region. As a result, all pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase. We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.

Gamers who had pre-ordered the game will receive full refunds, but the disappointment remains high. It's not the first time Kuwait has blocked a game, with previous examples including The Sims: FreePlay and Dragon's Dogma 2, highlighting the stricter regulations on gaming in the country.

The reason behind Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 being blocked in Kuwait hasn't been officially revealed, but it's likely due to its focus on the Gulf War and Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, which is a sensitive topic for the region.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available elsewhere on October 25 for the PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

The Australian Censorship Board (ACB) has announced new censorship rules about gambling content in video games. The ACB writes:

Over the last decade, video games have increased and so has gambling-like content in these games. This includes:

• In-game purchases with an element of chance, such as paid loot boxes. These are mystery items players can use real money to buy, without knowing what item they will get.

• Simulated gambling including casino-style video games.

Research has found that gambling-like content in video games is linked to problem gambling in real-life, as well as psychological and emotional harm. To address these findings the Australian Government has introduced new classifications for video games containing gambling-like content.

From 22 September 2024, the Australian Government has introduced new classifications to video games that contain gambling like content. These changes are in response to growing community concern for children and research findings that links gambling-like content in video games to problem gambling in real-life, as well as psychological and emotional harm.

The new classifications that will be displayed for video games with gambling-like content are:

• M (Mature, not recommended for children under 15) for computer games containing in-games purchases linked to elements of chance, including paid loot boxes (these are mystery items players can use real money to buy, without knowing what item they will get)

• R 18+ (Restricted to adults 18 years and over) for computer games containing simulated gambling.

The changes will apply to games on computers, gaming consoles, phones and tablets.

The consumer advice for new video games that contain gambling-like content will say:

• Chance-based in-game purchases for video games containing in-game purchases linked to elements of chance, like loot-boxes.

• High-impact simulated gambling for video games containing simulated gambling.

• Gambling themes for video games containing content which may resemble gambling, but does not meet the threshold for simulated gambling.

The new classifications will be applied to new video games. The new classifications will not be applied to existing games, unless they are updated with new content and need to be reclassified.

The video game distribution platform Steam has been banned entirely in Vietnam.

Vietnamese players took to Steam forums, saying all of the country's internet providers blocked access to both Valve's app and browser. One commenter said they spoke to someone who claimed the order came from above.

Neither Valve or anyone from Vietnam's government have spoken on the matter.

An article in VietnamNet suggested that the ban may be connected to domestic publishers. A representative for one domestic publisher claimed Steam can put out games in the country without having to seek permission from the local government like Vietnamese developers have to. According to them, Valve's alleged ability to break the rules is an injustice to domestic publishers.