DayZ developer Bohemia Interactive has confirmed it plans to modify all versions of the game after it was banned by the Australian Classification Board (ACB).
Last week the ACB refused to issue the planned retail version of the survival shooter with an age rating, and then said it was working to ban the game entirely for apparently incentivizing the use of cannabis by including the drug as a consumable item.
It caused something of a stir given the digital version of DayZ had already been approved for sale on multiple occasions, and now it seems like Bohemia is going to play ball rather than try and take on the ACB.
Speaking to Kotaku Australia about the issue, the studio explained it will amend the game on a global scale, while ensuring gameplay remains authentic.
“We don’t want to separate Australian players from the rest of the world, since many people play cross-region,” commented the studio. “We love that DayZ is the place to meet with friends and experience the game without dramatic regional lag. We don’t want to change that.
“At the moment, we are editing the global version of DayZ so it will fit into the Board’s requirements. The key objective is to keep the gameplay as authentic as it was, so players are not affected by this change.”
Although Bohemia didn’t specify exactly what changes would be made to the game, the ACB has previously suggested removing cannabis or preventing players from using it for beneficial purposes would do the trick.
“If the use of cannabis within the context of this game did not act as an incentive or reward, its impact could therefore be accommodated within the R18+ classification,” explained the ratings board. “The use of drugs (marijuana) as an incentive or reward during the gameplay exceeds what can be accommodated within the R18+ classification and therefore must be Refused Classification.”