Over the last few days, the Australian Classification Board rated the upcoming Call of Duty: WWII title twice. While it was rated at R18+ both times, Kotaku AU decided to look into this oddity and found a difference between the two ratings–the second rating was missing the designation “threat of sexual violence”. The removal of that on the second rating leads to the assumption that a scene implying sexual violence was edited or removed.
Kotaku AU reached out to the Australian Classification Board for more information:
In one section of the game, the player controls Rosseau, a female spy, as she infiltrates a German building. While inside, she witnesses a woman as she is dragged by a Nazi soldier into a closet, against her will, screaming, “You’re all pigs!”
Rosseau opes the closet door, as the soldier says, “Leave. This is none of your business.” The player is then given the option to kill the soldier or leave.
If the player chooses to leave, the player closes the door, as the soldier is heard unziping his fly and viewed advancing towards the woman. She screams, “Ah! Get away from me!” as Rosseau leaves.
It is implied that the soldier is going to sexually assault the woman, but at no time is the assault depicted.
Essentially, Activision edited the scene so that the audio of the Nazi unzipping is fly is removed, as well as a change in the woman’s outfit to seem less suggestive. According to the Classification Board, “the removal of the audio track means that consumer advice of threat of sexual violence is not required.”
There is more to read at the Kotaku AU article, including additional notes from the Classification Board.
Why do you think of this change?
[Source: Kotaku AU]
