The Callisto Protocol, the upcoming survival horror title from developer Striking Distance Studios, has been cancelled in Japan due to the developer refusing to censor the game’s violent content.
The news comes from The Callisto Protocol’s Japanese Twitter account, in a tweet that reads when translated (via Eurogamer):
“The Callisto Protocol has decided to stop the release of the Japanese version. As of now, the CERO rating cannot be passed. We have decided that we would no longer be able to provide you with the experience you need. We hope everyone in Japan will understand. If you have already pre-ordered, we will refund you.”
CERO, a rating agency based in Tokyo, has been remarkably stringent about censorship in games ever since its founding in 2022, and has been responsible for censoring games such as The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 and Grand Theft Auto 5.
The Callisto Protocol, a spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, is set to release on December 2, 2022. The game is releasing at an interesting time too – after several years without a Dead Space game, its spiritual successor is releasing just a month before EA launches its Dead Space remake in January.
1) The Callisto Protocol's release is canceled in Japan.
Local ratings agency CERO did not like the level of violence in the game, and the developer refuses to comply with their demands.
Many people don't know a LOT of games are censored in Japan.
