UPDATE 2: We have just received a statement from Warner Bros Interactive indicating that its appeal has been unsuccessful. In confirming the original decision, the Classification Review Board has ensured that Mortal Kombat cannot be published in Australia in its current form. – Black Panel Staff (14.03.11)

UPDATE 1: Mortal Kombat publisher Warner Bros has announced plans to appeal the Australian Classification Board’s decision. According to the publisher, “the violence in the game is on par with numerous other titles readily available for sale in the Australian market.” – Black Panel Staff (03.03.11)

ORIGINAL POST: Publisher Warner Bros Interactive today confirmed that the new Mortal Kombat game has been refused classification. Though previous titles in the franchise have been released with little fuss, the Australian Classification Board has ruled that the forthcoming series revival cannot be accommodated under an MA15+ rating. As the Australian classification system has no provision for R18+ rated games, Mortal Kombat has effectively been banned from sale.

For its part, Warner Bros. acknowledges that the latest instalment in its blood drenched fighting franchise is intended for an adult audience. The publisher has therefore issued a renewed call for the introduction of an R18+ rating, which would require the unanimous support of all Australian Attorneys General. Warner Bros must now decide whether it will appeal the decision, submit an edited version of the game, or abandon plans for a local release.

In December 2009, the Attorney General’s Department called for public submissions on the potential for ratings reform. Following well publicised campaigns by retailers and lobby groups, the Department published a report indicating that 98% of respondents supported the introduction of an R18+ rating. The Attorneys General discussed the issue at their December 2010 meeting, but as reported by the Australian Financial Review, elected to postpone a decision pending further consideration.