Final Fantasy 16 Banned in Saudi Arabia: Unacceptable Content Unchanged.
The General Commission for Audiovisual Media has confirmed that Final Fantasy 16 has been banned in Saudi Arabia due to unacceptable content that Square Enix refused to change. The ban has raised concerns about the country's censorship policies, as well as the region's future video game investments.
Understanding the Ban
Square Enix Unwilling to Make Changes. The General Commission for Audiovisual Media has stated that Final Fantasy 16 has not been cleared for release in Saudi Arabia due to the publisher's unwillingness to make the necessary modifications. While it is not clear which content in the game caused it to be banned, the game reportedly contains unacceptable content that Square Enix refused to change.
In February, three writers for Saudi website TrueGaming posted vague tweets implying that an upcoming game had LGBTQ+ content. If they were referring to Final Fantasy 16, this would certainly be considered a cause to ban the game in the region. Saudi Arabia has strict laws prohibit homosexuality and same-sex relationships.
لمحبي لعبة #FinalFantasyXIV، نود التوضيح بأنها لم تفسح بالمملكة، وذلك بسبب عدم رغبة الناشر بإجراء التعديلات اللازمة.الهيئة العامة للإعلام #المرئي_والمسموع #تصنيف_الألعاب pic.twitter.com/5OuWZJGEvX— التصنيف العمري للألعاب الإلكترونية (@VGAR_SA) May 3, 2023
Video Game Investments in Saudi Arabia
In recent years, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has made a number of investments in the video game industry. The country became Nintendo's biggest outside investor after increasing its stake in the company to 8.26%. The PIF has also acquired over $3 billion worth of stock in Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, FIFA publisher Electronic Arts, and Rockstar's parent company Take-Two.
The PIF is reportedly central to crown prince Mohammed bin Salman's goal of making the Saudi economy less reliant on proceeds from oil. The fund has said it will invest a further $37.8 billion in games industry acquisitions, including around $13 billion to acquire "a leading game publisher." While these investments are expected to modernize the kingdom, they have also come with negative fallout due to the country's highly criticized human rights abuses.
The crown prince has been accused by US Intelligence of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was a vocal critic of the Saudi government and was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Thousands of civilians passed away as a result of Saudi Arabia's contentious war in Yemen. Human rights organizations have criticized the war for the large number of civilian deaths and the use of airstrikes on civilian targets.
Saudi Arabia has history of cracking down on female activists who speak out against the government. In 2018, several women's rights activists were arrested and detained without trial. While some have been released, others remain in prison.
The ban of Final Fantasy 16 in Saudi Arabia highlights the country's strict censorship policies and its controversial human rights record. It also raises questions about the future of video game investments in the region. While the PIF's investments are expected to modernize the kingdom, they have also been criticized for supporting a regime that violates basic human rights.