Omega Labyrinth Z blocked in the West by Sony?

If there is a game in recent times that has courted controversy, it’s Omega Labyrinth Z. Back in March, BBC News and other outlets reported that the Video Standards Council were refusing to classify the game based on ‘normalis[ing] sexual activity towards children‘ given the school setting; but we have heard nothing about this title since.

Today, we approached PQube for comment and their statement revealed the potential reasoning for the silence surrounding this title, and the final decision regarding its release. They said:

PQube strives to release Japanese content for its fans as close to the source material as possible. In the case of Omega Labyrinth Z, while PQube has worked with all relevant age rating bodies in their respective territories, PQube must respectfully comply with the wishes of the platform holder and have therefore withdrawn any future plans for Omega Labyrinth Z’s European and North American release on PS4 and PS Vita.

Although the statement is unclear as to whether the primary cause of this ban is the ratings boards (as we already know that the Australian Classification Board has blocked Omega Labyrinth Z in their region) or Sony themselves, it is implied that the final decision rested with Sony. This means that, outside of imports (which is perfectly legal ‘for personal use’), consumers will not be able to purchase this game in the West.

This blocking of the game in the West makes Omega Labyrinth Z the first game to be banned in the UK since 2008’s Manhunt 2, and one of only a handful of games to ever be banned in the region. So, how do you feel about this final decision? Were you looking forward to playing Omega Labyrinth Z? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.