Key Takeaways
- Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact is effectively banned in Australia after being refused classification.
- According to the Australian Classiffication Board, the game was given an “RC” designation, or “Refused Classification.”
- It’s unclear why it was not classified, and Hunter x Hunter characters have been in other video games.
- The game was delayed until 2025 in order to implement rollback netcode, providing the developers a chance to potentially work things out.
Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact, the upcoming fighting game developed by Bushiroad and published by Arc System Works, has been refused classification in Australia.
As first spotted by Automaton and Gamesradar, the game was given an RC designation, which is short for “Refused Classification,” by the Australian Classification Board. The ACB, which operates under the Australian Government, is similar to the United States’ ESRB or Europe’s PEGI ratings boards. Europe’s PEGI ratings boards
Per the Classification Board’s website, no information is provided as to why the game has been denied. As a result, until further notice, the game is effectively “banned,” and it’s unclear whether its developers will work to rework things or simply move on.
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The Reason For Refusal Is Not Known
Originally revealed in early January, before being delayed into 2025 in order to implement rollback netcode, Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact represents the first true game based on the anime and manga since a 2012 PSP title. It is set to be the first home console game based on the IP since at least 2001.
While those dates are rather old, the characters of Hunter x Hunter have appeared in other games, including as part of the main cast in Jump Force, as part of mobile collaborations or even in Monster Hunter. In other words, it’s not like these characters haven’t been in games before, so it’s hard to ascertain exactly why the game was refused a classification.
Yes, its two protagonists (Gon and Killua) are canonically 12 years old at the start of the series, and there are loads of other adults that they do battle with. However, it’s not too dissimilar from another Shōnen Jump title in Naruto, which has had several games dedicated to child Naruto, along with recent efforts focusing on his 12-year-old son, Boruto. As a result, only time will tell if the game is allowed to be sold in Australia.
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