Known for his disturbing obsession with the young protagonists, Killua and especially Gon, Hisoka’s controversial behavior in the series may have caused the ban on Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact game in Australia.
If you’ve been following news about Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact, you probably already know it’s been refused classification in Australia. This isn’t just a delay; it means the game cannot legally be sold, advertised, or even imported into the country. And perhaps, the main reason behind this is glaringly obvious to anyone familiar with Hunter x Hunter: Hisoka.
The Official Reason for the Ban
The Australian Classification Board made its stance clear. According to them, the game includes “depictions that suggest sexual violence against characters under the age of 18 by an adult male character.”
They also noted that these depictions had no narrative justification, which is a major red flag in terms of their standards. For context, Australia has some of the strictest media classification laws in the world, especially when it comes to anything that could be interpreted as exploiting minors or depicting non-consensual acts.
Now, no names were explicitly mentioned, but if you know Hunter x Hunter, it’s not a stretch to connect these concerns to Hisoka. He’s infamous in the series for his, let’s say, “questionable” fascination with Gon and Killua, both of whom are minors.
While the manga and anime often handle this in a way that skirts direct accusations, the ambiguity of Hisoka’s character has always been polarizing. The Classification Board clearly isn’t interested in nuance here.
Is the Ban Actually Justified?
This isn’t the first time Hunter x Hunter or anime-inspired media has faced scrutiny in Australia. Titles like No Game No Life and To Love Ru Darkness have had volumes banned for similar reasons, often citing depictions of minors in exploitative scenarios.
And it’s worth mentioning that the standards for games, movies, and books are different across regions. For example, this game was rated 12+ in countries like Germany and Japan, where the cultural context around anime is less conservative. But Australia? They don’t play around.
The part that stings for fans is that it’s unclear how Hisoka’s creepiness is portrayed in the game. If it’s just his usual flirtation with danger, fans could argue it’s true to the source material. But if the game leaned into this trait without enough narrative context to justify it, it’s not hard to see why the Classification Board pulled the plug.
Could It Have Been Something Else?
There’s also speculation that other elements might have triggered the ban. For instance, the Hunter x Hunter world involves some pretty heavy themes, including drug use (D2, anyone?).
Australia’s notoriously strict about drug depictions in games. But considering the Board specifically mentioned “sexual violence against minors,” it’s hard not to zero in on Hisoka’s involvement.
Some fans have even questioned whether the age ratings in other countries are too lenient. Sure, Gon and Killua fighting as 12-year-olds might not seem like a big deal in a fantasy setting, but when you combine that with Hisoka’s personality, it’s an explosive combination for conservative regions.
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Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact was already delayed to 2025 for technical reasons (rollback netcode implementation, which is a whole other discussion). Now, Bushiroad has two options: revise the content or provide supplemental justification for the flagged scenes.
Revising Hisoka’s character or toning down his behavior might appease the Classification Board, but it risks alienating the fanbase, especially those who value authenticity to the source material.
It’s also possible the developers might choose to bypass Australia entirely. After all, the region isn’t a massive market for anime games compared to places like Japan, the U.S., or even Europe.
Source: Gameradar, Automaton Media
