Final Fantasy 16 is banned in Saudi Arabia

With the game's release just a bit over a month away, it was reported that Final Fantasy 16 is banned from release in Saudi Arabia.

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With the game’s release just a bit over a month away, it was reported that Final Fantasy 16 is banned from release in Saudi Arabia.

Recently, Saudi Arabia’s Public Authority for Media shared via its official Twitter account that the next Final Fantasy game will not be released in the country this June. According to the statement, the game will not get a release in Saudi Arabia because of the “publisher’s unwillingness to make the necessary modifications.”

How it was worded is a bit vague, though there are fans who believe that Final Fantasy 16 will feature LGBTQ+ content and that this is the reason why the game is banned in the country. After all, Saudi Arabia along with other Middle Eastern countries strictly prohibit LGBTQ+ content in their media.

Of course, it’s also possible that the game’s violent content is the reason for the ban. Though based on previous games that are banned in the region, LGBTQ+ content might be the likelier reason.

This is just speculation for now though as we’ll only find out if this is indeed the case when the game is released.

While it won’t be available in Saudi Arabia, Final Fantasy 16 will be released in most of the world on June 22, 2023, exclusively on the PS5.

For now, there’s no word yet on a release date on other platforms, but given the release of FF7 Remake, it’s possible that this game will be a timed PlayStation exclusive.