Saudi Arabia Bans Video Games due to Child Deaths

Do you like to play Assassins’ Creed 2, Grand Theft Auto V, or Street Fighter V on your computer? Well, you’re gonna have to give them up because Saudi Arabia is banning some video games.

According to Gulf News, the Saudi General Commission for Audio-Visual Media has banned 47 video games in the Kingdom. The ban was made in response to reports that a couple of kids had committed suicide after being urged to do so in an online game.

Gamers in Saudi Arabia may have to give up some of their favorites.

47 Games Banned in Response to Child Suicides

For the past few weeks, news about the deaths of two children have rocked the country. It was reported that a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl had allegedly committed suicide after playing the “Blue Whale” game online.

The game, which is also called the Blue Whale Challenge, is said to provide participants a series of tasks. While the initial tasks seem “easy,” they become more and more violent as the game goes on — culminating in a suicide at the end.

In response to the children’s deaths, the Saudi General Commission for Audio-Visual Media has banned 47 video games. However, the agency has not specified the details nor explained the violations that these games had supposedly committed.

Games such as Grand Theft Auto V are in the list.
Image Credit: Grand Theft Auto V FB Page

List of Games Banned in Saudi Arabia
Here is a list of the video games banned in the Kingdom:

  1. Agents of Mayhem
  2. Assassins’ Creed 2
  3. Attack on Titan 2
  4. Bayonetta 2
  5. Clash of the Titans
  6. Dante’s Inferno
  7. Deadpool
  8. Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition
  9. Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess
  10. Deus Ex Mankind Divided
  11. Devils Third
  12. DmC: Definitive Edition
  13. Dragon Age: Inquisition
  14. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
  15. Draw to Death
  16. Final Fantasy: Dissidia
  17. Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2
  18. God of War 1
  19. God of War 2
  20. God of War 3
  21. Grand Theft Auto V
  22. Heavy Rain
  23. Hitman: Absolution (2012)
  24. Life is Strange
  25. Mafia 2
  26. Mafia 3
  27. Metro Redux
  28. Okami
  29. One Piece: Burning Blood
  30. Past Cure
  31. Prison Architect
  32. Resident Evil 5
  33. Resident Evil 6
  34. Saints Row IV
  35. SplatterHouse
  36. Street Fighter V
  37. Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary
  38. The Nonary Game
  39. The Order 1886
  40. The Saboteur
  41. The Witcher 3
  42. Thief
  43. Vampyr
  44. Watch Dogs
  45. Wolfenstein 2
  46. Wolfenstein: The New Order
  47. Yo-Kai Watch

If you happen to play any of these games, then you’re gonna have to give up them up. Rules are rules, after all! Please stay tuned as we will keep you posted for more details about this issue.