Callisto Protocol Devs Cancel Japan Release Amid Censorship Dispute

Since the inception of the Dead Space series, sci-fi horror survival games have been a common pastime relished by many. With The Callisto Protocol debuting on 2nd December 2022, fans are left eagerly and patiently waiting to play the game. But unfortunately for the game’s Japanese community, The Callisto Protocol won’t be arriving in Japan.

On 26th October 2022, Striking Distance Studios Tweeted an announcement revealing that The Callisto Protocol wouldn’t be debuting in Japan. The reason was that the game did not meet a particular standard according to Japan’s Computer Entertainment Rating Organization Video Game Rating System (CERO) and that the dispute between both parties caused the cancelation of a Japanese version of The Callisto Protocol in the country.

The Callisto Protocol Is Now Canceled In Japan

The Callisto Protocol, directed by Glen Schofield, who had previously co-created the Dead Space series, has easily become one of the most awaited sci-fi horror survival games worldwide. So, it’s no wonder Japanese fans are utterly disappointed after hearing that The Callisto Protocol is canceled in their country.

Striking Distance Studios, who worked tirelessly to create an impeccable sci-fi horror survival game that stood out from its competition, announced this week on 26th October 2022 via Twitter that The Callisto Protocol wouldn’t be coming to Japan over rating disputes. 

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Their Tweet read, “The Callisto Protocol's Japanese version has been discontinued.” The game cannot “pass CERO’s rating,” and the development team has decided that it won’t make the changes to the game, as it’d affect Japanese players’ overall expectations and experience when playing the game.

pic.twitter.com/fXtsIY4Fz3

— The Callisto Protocol (@CallistoGameJP) October 26, 2022

The company further stated that CERO’s rating of the game didn’t meet its standards, and the only way it could reach it would be to change some of the game’s content, ultimately shifting The Callisto Protocol in a different direction or possibly making it less scary. There was no specific reason for The Callisto Protocol not meeting CERO’s ratings. 

Still, the dispute led to an impasse between Striking Distance Studios and CERO. Striking Distance Studios didn’t want to change the game or its vision of The Callisto Protocol, and CERO would only give a suitable rating if the content within the title were altered. Hence, both parties could not move forward, and the Japanese version of The Callisto Protocol was canceled in Japan.

For now, Striking Distance Studio’s stance on not changing the game and CERO’s on sticking with its decision is absolute. As a result, there’s no promise of whether the decision to cancel the game's release in Japan would be reversed or not. We will endeavor to update you if the situation changes.

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All featured images are courtesy of Striking Distance Studio.