Saudia Arabia bans 47 video games following the suicides of a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy who each seemingly participated in the Blue Whale Challenge.
While it is not too prominent in the United States, there is a circulating social media challenge otherwise known as the “Blue Whale Challenge.” Essentially, those who take the challenge are pressured into various tasks that end with those participants taking their own life. In connection with this challenge, Saudi Arabia has banned 47 games following the death of two children, a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.
The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed 2, and the most lucrative game of 2017, Grand Theft Auto 5, are a few of the games on the extensive list banned by the Saudi General Commission for Audio-Visual Media, with the commission citing “unspecified violations of rules and regulations.” It appears these two children killed themselves after participating in the challenge via an online game, but the agency did not specify the connection between the social media challenge, these video games, and the sad suicides of these children.
Although the agency did not address the social media challenge in the issuance of its ban, allegations online of the two children participating in the challenge appear to be the connection. However, glimpsing at the list of games now banned, it’s hard to identify any pattern, as the first three God of War games are now banned but not the latest release and Dragon Age Inquisition is the only entry of that growing franchise on the list.
Although many people are likely to be divided over video games being banned as a way to cull violence, many will also agree that this social media challenge is not okay. Please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline if you are asked to participate in the Blue Whale challenge or are having suicidal thoughts.
Below is a full list of games banned by the Saudi General Commission for Audio-Visual Media:
Agents of Mayhem
Assassins Creed 2
Attack on Titan 2
Bayonetta 2
Clash of the Titans
Dante’s Inferno
Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition
Deadpool
Deception IV: The Nightmare Process
Deus Ex Mankind Divided
Devils Third
DmC – Definitive edition
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Draw to Death
Final Fantasy Dissidia
Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2
God of War 1
God of War 2
God of War 3
Grand Theft Auto V
Heavy Rain
Hitman: Absolution (2012)
Life is Strange
Mafia 2
Mafia 3
Metro Redux
Okami
One Piece Burning Blood
Past Cure
Prison Architect
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 6
Saints Row IV
SplatterHouse
Street Fighter V
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary
The Order 1886
The Saboteur
The Witcher 3
The Nonary Game
Thief
Vampyr
Watch Dogs
Wolfenstein 2
Wolfenstein: The New Order
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