10 Jun 2025 7:45 AM +00:00 UTC

Gears of War: Reloaded Banned in Japan Because It's Too Gory

Gears of War Reloaded

Gears of War is coming to PS5 everywhere. Except Japan. Gears of War: Reloaded will not be launching in the Asian country on Sony's console due to regional rating restrictions and platform policies, according to the official Xbox Wire blog post.

It's no secret that GoW is an extremely gory franchise. While the shock factor of getting chainsawed might be an impactful first impression, many fans found themselves loving the cast of characters more so than the blood and carnage of its gameplay.

Following the Xbox Game Showcase, the Japanese Xbox Wire blog post had a notice, which was later edited into other versions of the blog, stating:

Due to regional rating restrictions and platform policies, Gears of War: Reloaded will not be released for PlayStation 5 in Japan. Domestic players will still be able to play the game on launch day through Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Game Pass, and Steam. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to players in Japan who have been waiting for the release of this game.

It's definitely a big blow for Microsoft as the Xbox as a brand has little mainstream appeal to Japanese audiences, who were likely anticipating a release of one of the company's most iconic IPs on a highly popular console like the PlayStation 5.

A Microsoft representative spoke with Gamespark, revealing that Gears of War: Reloaded had not cleared the CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization) screening due to its depiction of blood, gore, and intense violence.

gears of war reloaded — No GoW for PS5 users in Japan

Games can be released without a CERO rating if they apply to obtain an IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) general-purpose rating. However, in the specific case of Sony Interactive Entertainment, a game that's intended for mature audiences must still apply and get a CERO rating approved to show up on digital storefronts and get a physical release in Japan.

The explanation above makes things clear as to why Reloaded will still show up on Xbox and Steam but will have to skip out on PlayStation 5 in Japan.

Gears of War: Reloaded will be released on August 27 for PlayStation 5 (except Japan) Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam, and will be a day one Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.

And that's it. Stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: the best site for Xbox coverage.

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Andres Aquino

Night Editor

Local Hero

Writer and some would say gamer extraordinaire. When he's not raging in fighting games or losing his mind raiding in Destiny 2, he's lost in the captivating worlds of Square Enix RPGs... or Football Manager.

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