According to reports, the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive The Last of Us Part 2 will not be released in several Middle East countries.
Fans of The Last of Us Part 2 in the Middle East may have a hard time getting it. Naughty Dog’s zombie action-adventure game got banned in several Middle Eastern nations because of the game’s content.
Unable to search
Users on Reddit were the first to shed some light on the news. They were asking PlayStation Support why they cannot pre-order the game inside United Arab Emirate’s PlayStation Store.
Some answered their queries informing them that games that do not appear in the PlayStore region were banned by the authorities. There is nothing the developers or Sony could do regarding that.
Searching for the game on the UAE and MENA PlayStation Stores only show the original The Last of Us game and its remastered version. The sequel is not showing up in search results even if it has been promoted in PlayStation social media accounts in the area.
???????? #TheLastofUs2 has allegedly been banned in the Middle East due to its LGBT themeshttps://t.co/nVUq461V1J
— GameRevolution by Mandatory (@Game_Revolution) May 26, 2020
Following the law
Most countries in the Middle East follow the Sharia Law, a holy law derived from the Quran and Islam. These laws are usually strict on what the followers can or cannot see on the media.
The developers can censor any problematic content or plan a workaround. However, with The Last of Us Part 2 launching in less than a month, it seems that this is unlikely to happen.
Sony has not announced any official comments on why the game is banned in some Middle East countries. However, it is possibly because of Dina and Ellie, who shared a romantic moment in the E3 2018 trailer.
LGBTQ+ content is not allowed in movies and games in these countries no matter how insignificant they are. Another possible reason The Last of Us 2 got banned is that the ESRB rating mentions the game has sexual and nude content. Both contents are also not allowed in the Middle East.
Alternatives
While this may make it harder to get the game, it is not impossible for fans to buy the game. The Last of Us 2 will still be sold in every other PlayStation Stores. In addition, prepaid PlayStation Store cards can easily be bought online.
Another option is to buy from third-party sellers who can import the game overseas. The only downside of the ban is that the game will not be translated into Arabic. The Last of Us Part 2 is scheduled to be released on June 19, only on the PlayStation 4.
Featured image courtesy of Breakthrough/Youtube Screenshot