Story Highlights
- Spider-Man 2 is allegedly being banned in the Middle Eastern region, following a removal of the pre-order options on PSN store pages merely hours after launching.
- The game’s release date, Digital Deluxe Edition as well as age ratings have been pulled out.
- Fans are speculating a ban due to the possible inclusion of LGBTQ+ content in the game, considering that the region banned Final Fantasy 16 for the same reason.
- If not banned, fans think it’s a delay until the Middle East localizes the game according to regional standards.
Middle Eastern gamers can no longer pre-order Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the PlayStation store. The pre-order option was removed merely hours after the game went live on the PSN store pages in the region. The Digital Deluxe Edition as well as age ratings, price, and release date can’t be viewed any longer too. Fans speculate that the game has been banned in the respective regions due to Middle East’s laws regarding LGBTQ+.
The issue was first noticed on Twitter today by a Spider-Man fan account, MSM_Access. After this, further fans came up with screenshots of their PSN store pages. The issue was also earlier reported on the Spider-Man PS4 subreddit. A fan also claimed that they had pre-ordered the game before it was removed from the stores and after contacting PlayStation Support, they received a refund.
https://twitter.com/MSM_Access/status/1683715203278721026?s=20
Unlike the UK and USA PSN stores where you can view the release date and age ratings up front, the Middle Eastern stores only show “announced” for the game and no further information. The release date is also said to be determined yet on the respective pages when the original worldwide release date has been set to October 20. Most recently, the age ratings have been erased.
Fans all through the Middle East including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait are facing the issue and have been contacting their respective support centers ever since. The most common theory among fans is that the game is probably being canceled for the inclusion of some LGBTQ+ content that the directors cannot remove. It is speculated to be Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat’s cameo who is bisexual in the comics.
To further stamp the cancellation rumors, the Middle East has earlier banned one of the most popular games this year, Final Fantasy 16 due to the inclusion of gay characters. The Last Of Us Part 2 faced the ban for the same reason. Apart from games, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse was removed from the theaters following some trans-supportive messages seen in the film.
On the good side, despite the aforementioned content, Spider-Man: Miles Morales ran in the region without an objection. However, nothing can be said concretely yet, the game could be in the process of being localized and censored, so a delay is imminent. The possibility of a ban can also not be completely ruled out considering the region’s strict laws regarding LGBTQ+ content.
Spider-Man 2 is set to be released on October 20 this year exclusively for the PlayStation 5. Marketing for the game has been paced up as a Spider-Man 2-themed special edition PS5 has been unveiled. The trailer amassed over 20 million views. The game has already generated a lot of excitement around the world, but Middle Eastern fans could face a bummer if the region decides to outlaw it.
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i am so sad about this, i live in saudi arabia and i really want spiderman 2 :(
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