KEY POINTS

  • "The Last of Us Part 2" seems to be banned from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
  • The PlayStation 4 exclusive does not show on the region's PlayStation Store
  • The ban may be because of the game's strong mature content
  • "The Last of Us Part 2" is scheduled to be released on June 19

“The Last of Us Part 2” may not reach the consoles of Middle Eastern players as the game has been reported to be banned in several countries.

Naughty Dog's PlayStation 4 exclusive is set to be released worldwide on June 19, but while it is available in most PlayStation Stores, the game seems to be absent in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “The Last of Us Part 2” is still searchable, but doing so will only queue some of the game's avatars and themes.

Reddit member u/dragovicc posted the question on the site almost two weeks ago and since then, it has gained a lot of speculations. One user said that the game is not banned since the “Left Behind” DLC was released in their country.

The Last of Us Part 2 - Ellie
Naughty Dog's hotly-anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive "The Last of Us Part 2" has a new release date. Sony Interactive Entertainment

He went on to say that the game was available in Geekday Games at some point but later disappeared. Another claimed that “The Last of Us Part 2” remains to be elusive, while the wait and the fact that they can't pre-order are taking a negative toll.

The same user who can't find the game on their listing reached out to Sony via email. Player Support Specialist for PlayStation Support "Zena" replied by saying that any game that does not appear in any regional store has been deemed “banned by the competent authorities of the country and we can not do anything about it.”

No official statement coming from the concerned parties has been announced, but several insiders are pointing to the game's mature content. For one, Games Industry said the ban may be because of the “nudity and sexual content,” while IGN detailed the Middle East's low tolerance when it comes to LGBT.

“The Last of Us Part 2's protagonist, Ellie, is gay, which may potentially have caused the apparent sale block,” said the outlet.

Saudi Arabia has banned several games due to their sexual content. These include the “God of War” franchise, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” “Heavy Rain” and “Red Dead Redemption,” among others, said Dual Shockers.

Despite the absence, PlayStation Arabia is still promoting the game's State of Play and it is still present in the list of upcoming games in the region.

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