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Disco Elysium - The Final Cut unbanned in Australia, gets R18+ rating

After further review, the Australian media classifications board has unbanned Disco Elysium from classification in the country.

TJ Denzer

May 14, 2021 8:00 AM

When Disco Elysium - The Final Cut was set for a March 2021 release date earlier this year, it came alongside some rough news for a certain continent. The Australian Classification Board which gives ratings to games and determines in what capacity they can be sold outright refused classification to Disco Elysium’s revamped edition for its explicit content, effectively blocking the game from being sold in the country. However, good news has arrived for Australian players. Following another review, the game has been unbanned in the country and given an R18+ rating. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut will be able to go ahead with sales in Australia in full capacity.

This announcement was made via the Australian Classifications Board on May 14, 2021. According to the new posting by the board, Disco Elysium - The Final Cut warrants a R18+ rating based on further review (meaning it will still be restricted in sales to individuals over a certain age). That said, it’s still a win for the game, considering it previously outright refused classification shortly after the Final Cut release date was announced in March.

The Australian Classification Board’s initial decision was based heavily on content relating to drug use in Disco Elysium, and this is also where the reversal of the classification refusal decision was mostly focused.

“In the Review Board’s opinion, while drug use linked to incentives and rewards cannot be accommodated at R 18+, this game does provide disincentives related to drug-taking behaviour, to the point where regular drug use leads to negative consequences for the player’s progression in the game. It was, specifically, the disincentives for drug use that influenced the Review Board in making their decision. Drug use is not explicitly depicted within the game. The game contains frequent strong coarse language, often used aggressively, which has a high impact. The themes within the game are related to a detective investigating a murder while also attempting to manage his own alcohol addiction, and getting his life back together after his substance abuse. The themes and drug references within the game are inextricably linked.” ~ Australian Classification Review Board

It’s good news for an entire country of folks looking to get their hands on the most complete and realized Disco Elysium experience. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut features upgraded resolution support, controller support, cleaned textures, a new area to explore, full voice acting through the whole game, and more that make an already fantastic game even greater. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is available now on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S consoles.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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May 14, 2021 8:00 AM

TJ Denzer posted a new article, Disco Elysium - The Final Cut unbanned in Australia, gets R18+ rating