Hotline Miami 2 was effectively banned in Australia earlier this week, and developer Dennaton Games is understandably not too happy about it.
If you’re Australian and want to play the game, lead designer, Jonatan Söderström has some unconventional advice - pirate the game instead.
One fan wrote an email to the developers asking how he could support them without getting into trouble. Söderström’s reply was brief and to the point.
“If it ends up not being release[d] in Australia, just pirate it after release. No need to send us any money, just enjoy the game!,” he responded.
Polygon verified the story after it made the rounds on several forums and news sites. Piracy is probably the only way Australian fans will be able to get their hands on Dennaton’s violent sequel, which was banned due to its frequent bloodshed and a controversial rape scene.
While other restricted titles like South Park: The Stick of Truth and Saint’s Row 4 have appeared on Aussie shelves after a bit of tweaking, Dennaton don’t seem the sort to edit their game to please censors. They and publisher Devolver Digital say that the Australian Classification Board “incorrectly portrays” the scene in question in their report, and accuses the institution of stretching the facts.
Non-Australian fans will be able to grab Hotline Miami 2 later this year.
