It seems Left 4 Dead 2 is the most recent victim of Australia’s outdated ratings system. The ratings board refused to classify the zombie shooter due to “strong violence.” Australia, which lacks an equivalent to the ESRB’s M rating, simply doesn’t rate games that go beyond their MA15 classification. This, in turn, effectively bans the game from any sort of as-is release in the country.

In their full report, the ratings board described the game’s “realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence” as “high in impact… and therefore unsuitable for persons under the age of 18 to play.” In particular, they noted the use of melee combat, such as with the chainsaw and katana, which causes blood to splatter as well as dismemberment of zombies.

In the end, this means that Left 4 Dead 2‘s violence level must have increased greatly from it’s predecessor, which received the MA15 rating.

For Valve to be able to release the game in Australia, a complete overhaul would have to be done to bring down the game’s violence. Whether Valve is willing to do this, if it’s even possible, is left to be seen.