UAE: Mafia II banned

Reports have emerged that 2K Games’ Mafia II has been banned in the United Arab Emirates.

The Naitional Media Council has banned the game from being released and officially sold at any retail outlets in the region, according to MEGamers.

While no specific reasons have been given for this ruling, the site speculates that the Council’s decision was largely based on the game’s ESRB rating, which warns of blood, intense violence, nudity, strong language and more.

Mafia II is the latest in a string of games that have been banned from release in the region, including THQ’s Darksiders, Sony’s Heavy Rain and Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption.

The 2K gangster sequel is currently performing well in the UK, have secured a second week at the top of the GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40.