Manhunt releasing digitally on PSN next week

One of the most controversial video games ever made is to re-enter the UK market.

Rockstar has confirmed that PS2 title Manhunt will be released on PSN next week on Wednesday May 14th. It will cost 7.99 and be found in the PS2 section of the store.

Also releasing on the same day are a number of other Rockstar titles including Red Dead Revolver and entries from the Grand Theft Auto and Midnight Club series.

The Warriors is also due for a release but won’t arrive until a later date.

Manhunt rose to infamy in 2004 after being linked to the fatal stabbing of Stefan Pakeerah, whose attacker – Warren LeBlanc – was accused of being obsessed” with the game.

Calls to ban the game received the backing of Labour MP Keith Vaz, elevating the issue to the public consciousness.

It eventually transpired that it was Pakeerah and not LeBlanc who owned the game, but that was not enough to stop the series forever being shrouded in controversy.

The release of sequel Manhunt 2 in 2007 led to even greater problems for the games industry when the BBFC elected to ban the game from sale in the UK. This decision was eventually overturned in 2008 after Rockstar successfully challenged the BBFC’s ruling, arguably laying down the foundations for the eventual ditching of the BBFC in favour of PEGI in 2008’s Byron Report.