A Rockstar Games Title Bonaire Was Denied Classification In Australia

An unannounced Rockstar Games title was just banned in Australia, under the name ‘Bonaire’, as spotted by Kotaku Australia. 

Australia is exceptionally stringent with its classification system, and has banned Rockstar Games products in the past, including Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Among all the games that have felt the full force of the IARC’s ban hammer, like DayZ, We Happy Few, and Hotline Miami, ‘Bonaire’ slipped by unnoticed by most. 

The listing for ‘Bonaire’ is sparse, and it only says that it’s been refused classification in Australia and it was filed through the International Age Rating Coalition system. ‘Bonaire’ doesn’t appear on any other ratings agency boards elsewhere, and of course, Rockstar Games hasn’t officially announced a game with this title at all. 

There is a theory that the listing is for Red Dead Redemption 2 DLC. Bonaire is a Caribbean island, and Arthur Morgan does wash up on the fictional locale of Guarma in the region. The online multiplayer feature will receive a chunky summer update with new classes; perhaps players will be encouraged to peddle their wares and explore greener, sandier pastures on the tropical island. 

We won’t get any more information on ‘Bonaire’ for now, so we’ll wait until Rockstar Games or the IARC state what it is, why it was vetoed, and whether it is the foreign exchange setting for the Bully 2 sequel. Or not. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 is out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.