Striking Distance Studios has not bowed to CERO’s request, so the next game from Dead Space creator Glen Schofield will not be released in Japan.

CERO is the reason why there won’t be one. This organization, founded in 2002, is the Japanese age rating board equivalent of the EU’s PEGI or the American ESRB. The Callisto Protocol’s Japanese Twitter explained why they decided to scrap the localized version: “We have decided to discontinue the Japanese version of The Calisto Protocol. We have determined that the game cannot pass the CERO rating in its current state and that changing the content will not provide the experience players expect. We would appreciate your understanding in Japan.” Anyone who pre-ordered the game will get their money back.

Games rarely get banned in Japan, but due to excessive violence, several franchises (such as Gears of War, Call of Duty, Dead Island, and Grand Theft Auto) have been released in censored, modified editions in the Asian island nation. Dr Serkan Toto, a gaming industry analyst, explained it in more detail on Twitter:

“Games censored for nudity and violence in Japan include The Last Of Us, Cyberpunk 2077, Uncharted, The Witcher 3, Grand Theft Auto V, etc. Worse, censorship also affects homemade games, i.e. Resident Evil, compared to the Western release. It is also important to understand that sometimes, Japanese games get two releases, one cut and one ‘gory’ version. The gory version typically sells better. The problem is that the gory version, which usually carries CERO’s strictest ‘Z’ rating for ages 18+, is ALSO censored compared to the Western release. In other words, avoid the Japanese version of such games at all costs – they are always censored,” Toto wrote.

The Callisto Protocol will be released on December 2 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: VGC