In 2011, Mortal Kombat was banned in Australia.
When Mortal Kombat Was Too Brutal for an Entire Country
In February 2011, Warner Bros. Interactive got some bad news: their highly anticipated Mortal Kombat reboot had been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board. Translation? Banned. Not coming out. End of story.
The Classification Board's report didn't mince words. They cited "explicit depictions of dismemberment, decapitation, disembowelment and other brutal forms of slaughter," with repeated mentions of "bloodspray" during the game's signature fatality moves. For a franchise built on ripping out spines and uppercut-decapitations, this was basically a description of Tuesday.
The Rating That Didn't Exist
Here's where it gets weird: Australia didn't actually have an R18+ rating for video games at the time. The highest rating was MA15+, which meant games were either suitable for 15-year-olds or banned outright. There was no middle ground, no adults-only option.
This made Australia the only developed nation without an adult classification for games—even though movies and TV had R18+ ratings. The logic? Apparently adults could handle violent films but needed protection from violent video games.
Warner Bros. appealed the decision. The appeal was rejected.
What Changed
The Mortal Kombat ban became a rallying point. Gamers, industry groups, and even some politicians pointed out the absurdity: adults couldn't legally buy adult games in their own country. The Interactive Games & Entertainment Association had been lobbying for over a decade for an R18+ rating.
After years of debate and political wrangling, Australia finally introduced an R18+ classification for video games on January 1, 2013. Less than two months later, in February 2013, the ban on Mortal Kombat was lifted and the game was re-rated R18+—uncensored.
The first game to receive the new R18+ rating wasn't Mortal Kombat, though. That honor went to Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge in January 2013.
The Bigger Picture
The two-year ban highlighted a fundamental disconnect in how different countries handle game ratings. While Mortal Kombat (2011) launched globally to massive sales and critical acclaim, Australian gamers had to either import copies from other regions, buy digital versions through foreign accounts, or simply miss out.
Today, Australia still has one of the stricter classification systems in the developed world, but at least it acknowledges that adults exist. Games can now be rated R18+ instead of being banned by default—though some titles still get refused classification if they cross certain lines around sexual violence or drug use.
As for Mortal Kombat? The franchise continues to test the limits of good taste with every new installment, now with Australia's official permission.