In another one of those “huh?” moments, Bloober Team’s upcoming next-gen title The Medium has been refused classification in Australia. ‘Refused classification’ effectively means that the game is banned in Australia.
As to why the game was refused classification, it’s unknown. However, this could also be a case of a data entry error. The game was rated by the IARC (International Age Rating Coalition), and not the Australian Classification Board itself.
IARC submissions are done via a questionnaire that is “programmed with unique algorithms that assign ratings for each of the participating rating authorities which reflect their own distinct local standards about the age appropriateness of various content featured in the app.”
Also, it’s not the end of the world for The Medium to see an Australian release, as much like what happened with Compulsion Games’ We Happy Few, Bloober Team can simply ask for an appeal, or if that doesn’t work, modify The Medium to meet whatever rule the title needs to meet the requirements for a rating.
In the meantime, The Medium is due out for Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store on December 10.