Some PlayStation users were recently informed that a certain PS5 game had been removed from their library permanently with no warning.
The game in question is Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number.
You see, the game was banned upon release in Australia in 2015 with the country’s ratings board refusing to award it a classification.
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Why? Well this was due to its “visual depiction of implied sexual violence”.
Two years later, the Hotline Miami Collection landed which maintained the ban but then just last year, a native PS5 version of the collection dropped.
For this latest iteration, a loophole was discovered.
The PS5 version of the collection, which includes Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, was awarded a classification with the Australian ratings board seemingly forgetting about the whole ‘banned’ fiasco … until now.
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In fact, the PS5 Hotline Miami Collection was even available on PlayStation Plus.
For 12 months, Aussie players have finally been able to experience the 2015 sequel, but the plug has been pulled on the party.
PlayStation has seemingly caught on, pulling the game from the libraries of its Australian users.
“We have become aware that the product Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has not received a proper rating from the Australian Classification Board and have therefore taken steps to refund customers who have purchased the game,” an email read.
“We have issued a refund of the total purchase price for the product back to your original payment method. This may take 30-60 days to appear on your bank statement. [...] We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
It’s not abundantly clear whether the entire collection is being removed or just the Hotline Miami 2 component.
Either way, it’s a disappointing day for Australian gamers, but so too is it impressive that many got away with enjoying this forbidden instalment for an entire year.
Topics: PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony