Volition is making changes to Saints Row 4 for Australia

After the recent reveal that Saints Row 4 has been refused classification in Australia, essentially banning it, developer Volition has announced that it is making changes to the game so that the game can be sold there.

Publisher Deep Silver told StrategyInformer that Volition is making the necessary changes, one of which includes the removal of the “Alien Anal Probe” weapon. In the mean time, pre-orders for the game are still available with the “Low Violence Version” label. According to Deep Silver, Volition is “reworking some of the code” to “content which could cause offence”.

Volition is making changes to Saints Row 4 so that it can be sold in Australia

The game was refused classification last month. “The game includes a weapon referred to by the Applicant as an ‘Alien Anal Probe’. The Applicant states that this weapon can be ‘shoved into enemy’s backsides’. The lower half of the weapon resembles a sword hilt and the upper part contains prong-like appendages which circle around what appears to be a large dildo which runs down the centre of the weapon. When using this weapon the player approaches a (clothed) victim from behind and thrusts the weapon between the victim’s legs and then lifts them off the ground before pulling a trigger which launches the victim into the air,” says a statement by the Australian board.

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“In the Board’s opinion, a weapon designed to penetrate the anus of enemy characters and civilians constitutes a visual depiction of implied sexual violence that is interactive and not justified by context and as such the game should be Refused Classification.”

Saints Row 4 is set to hit stores on August 20 on the PC, Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.