Will Saints Row 2022 have censorship? Here’s what we know

Saints Row is coming back in 2022, but censorship could mean the disappearance of some of the franchise’s most famous features.

When Grand Theft Auto reimagined itself as a gritty and more realistic simulation in GTA IV, rival urban sandbox Saints Row took the opportunity to become the wacky and wild alternative. Starting from the third game onwards, the series incorporated more adult humor and ridiculous scenarios into the mix. While the 2022 Saints Row reboot will keep most of the franchise’s whimsical touches intact, some elements could be on the chopping block for foreign releases.

Saint’s Row wasn’t alone in featuring adult humor and situations. But Saints Row’s unique take was focused more on shock factor. The Third quickly gained online notoriety after the reveal of a giant adult toy being used as a melee weapon. In fact, the weapon is so iconic that its return in the reboot has already been confirmed.

Saints Row will see the return of a lot of old favorite playstyles and missions, including insurance fraud and using the dildo bat. But it's going to be all about the scrappy, started-from-the-bottom empire-building that we loved in Saints Row 1 and 2. https://t.co/sBXFZlfMb7

— Gene Park (@GenePark) August 25, 2021

But the dildo bat won’t necessarily be present in every release of the game. In 2022, more countries that ever have censorship laws that could affect the new Saints Row. In fact, the game may not even be released in some regions due to its potentially obscene content. Here’s a brief history of how previous games have been censored and what it means for the reboot.

Will Saints Row 2022 have censorship?

While adult humor and a certain purple weapon are confirmed for inclusion, Saints Row 2022 will most likely have censorship in some countries, and it won’t have all of the same adult themes as did previous iterations of the series.

The game will still release in most countries. Adult content from Saints Row The Third was censored or replaced in Germany, Japan, and some other countries that oppose sexual humor in video games. The Third was even outright banned in the United Arab Emirates. The constant presence of drugs and alcohol may have contributed as well, in some instances.

For countries where Saints Row was released with censorship, the Japanese version used a different model for adult toy weapons. It also prevented the player from fully undressing. The German version took a more philosophical approach, removing money drops and the ability to be used as a human shield from civilians.

For gamers in countries that limit media, Saints Row should still release with notable changes. As for the main release, it will still have much of the adult humor with more modern sensibilities. The game will probably not feature many jokes about race or gender, and it looks as though some elements of sexuality have been reduced. Beating people to death with a giant dildo is still on the table, though.