Final Fantasy XVI for PlayStation 5 banned from release in Saudi Arabia

The hotly anticipated action role-playing game Final Fantasy XVI has been banned from release in Saudi Arabia.

The exact reason for the ban is unknown, but it is reported that the publisher Square Enix refused to make a number of changes to the project that would allow it to be sold in this region.

The reasons for banning and censoring games, films and shows in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Middle East may, in particular, be sexually explicit topics and non-traditional relationships.

At the same time, many publishers willingly decide to change their games for the sake of sales in the region — these include Ubisoft and CD Projekt RED.

Earlier it became known that in Final Fantasy XVI, for the first time in the series, the characters will use obscene language, and the game itself will contain scenes of cruelty and prostitution.

The release of Final Fantasy XVI will take place on June 22 exclusively on PlayStation 5.