Konami's upcoming game, Silent Hill f, has encountered a roadblock in Australia, where it has been refused classification, indicating that the game cannot be sold in the country at present. This RC (Refused Classification) rating was assigned by an automated tool managed by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), rather than by members of the Australian Classification Board. Given past precedents, this may not be the final word on the matter.

Konami does not directly distribute its games in Australia, and IGN has reached out to their third-party distribution partner for further comments.

The exact reason for Silent Hill f's RC rating has not yet been disclosed. Since the introduction of an adults-only category for games (R18+) in Australia in January 2013, games are typically refused classification only if they contain sexual activity with someone who appears to be under 18, visual depictions of sexual violence, or if they tie incentives and rewards to drug use. A previous entry in the series, Silent Hill: Homecoming, faced a similar issue in 2008 due to a high-impact torture scene. However, this was before the R18+ rating was introduced, which now allows for higher levels of violence. Silent Hill: Homecoming was eventually released in Australia with modified camera angles for the contentious scene and received an MA15+ rating.

It's important to note that Silent Hill f's RC rating was determined by the IARC's online tool, designed for mobile and digitally delivered games. This tool functions through an online questionnaire where developers answer questions about the game's content, leading to automated ratings based on standards from participating countries. In Australia, the IARC tool is used exclusively for digitally distributed games, a practice adopted in 2014 to address the vast number of games released annually on platforms like the iOS app store. There have been cases where the IARC's automated ratings have been more stringent than those assigned by human classifiers, as seen with games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and We Happy Few in 2019.

The IARC tool is free, benefiting smaller publishers and developers. However, all physical game releases must still be rated by the Australian Classification Board, which has the authority to override any IARC classification.

In Australia, game publishers can employ staff as accredited classifiers or authorized assessors. Accredited classifiers, after training from the Classification Board, can classify games independently, with their decisions holding the weight of an official Classification Board ruling. Authorized assessors, while similarly trained, can only recommend a classification to the Board, which then makes the final decision.

At this point, it's premature to conclude whether Silent Hill f's RC rating will stand following further review. Notably, this is the first Silent Hill game to receive an 18+ rating certification in Japan.