Is Mortal Kombat 11 Banned in Japan?

Yes, Mortal Kombat 11 is officially banned in Japan under the country‘s regulations restricting excessively violent video game content. When publisher Warner Bros. submitted MK11 for age rating and distribution approval in Japan, the rating board categorically rejected it based on the game‘s graphic gore and disturbing moral depravity.

Fatalities & Violence Levels Too Extreme for Japan

Specifically, the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO), which oversees age ratings for games in Japan, took issue with Mortal Kombat 11‘s visceral finishing moves and outrageous levels of violence.

Certain gory fatalities reportedly caused the most concern, including:

• Spine Rip – Sub-Zero rips out opponent‘s head & spine in bloody slow motion
• Pizza Cut – Cassie Cage slices foes heads in two down the middle
• Intestinal Surgery – Geras pulls victim‘s intestines out through stomach

Not only are these finishers intensely graphic, but MK11 adds further realism through detailed graphics and x-ray zoom shots exposing bones and organs during fights.

Compared to other fighting games released in Japan, from Tekken 7 to Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat 11 clearly surpassed acceptable boundaries for violence according to regulatory bodies.

Stricter Game Content Restrictions in Japan

To understand why such a popular game like MK11 is rejected while legal elsewhere, we must examine Japan‘s stricter video game rating policies compared to countries like the USA.

The ESRB ratings board in the US takes an ostensibly more hands-off approach – games can depict any level of violence as long as its deemed "fantasy", warranting Mature 17+ ratings rather than censorship.

Conversely, Japan expressly forbids extreme or gratuitous violence in video games, even for adults. These policies have led to many editing compromises, but Mortal Kombat 11 represents a rare total ban:

Japanese Fans Petition to Overturn Ban

The ban on MK11 in Japan has unsurprisingly angered fans of the fighting game there. While not nearly as popular as domestic games like Tekken and Street Fighter in Japan, Mortal Kombat still retains a sizeable competitive and casual player base.

In response, Japanese fans have started online petitions calling on Warner Bros. to offer an edited version more likely to satisfy regulations. Supporters argue examples like toning down finishing move animations would allow the core game to remain intact while still releasing officially in Japan.

"I‘ve played Mortal Kombat for 20 years and it‘s frustrating to be excluded from MK11 just because of some violent scenes excessive for Japan," argues one Japanese eSports player organizing the petition.

However analysts suggest that with global sales unaffected, and Japan comprising under 5% of series revenue, Warner Bros. has little financial incentive to create a special edited variant only for release there.

Impact on Japanese Fighting Game Community

For Japan‘s hardcore fighting game community, the ban has severed an iconic series with deep roots in arcades and competitive play for nearly 30 years. Top players in Japan argue Mortal Kombat 11 raises the genre to new heights with excellent netcode, in-depth mechanics, and thrilling faction wars mode.

Unable to play legally at home, Japan‘s top MK11 players must now use overseas connections or piracy workarounds merely to practice. And participation in international tournaments featuring MK11 brackets becomes much more difficult and risky.

Leading Japanese fighting game show CORE Gaming laments, "Banning one of the world‘s largest competitive titles hurts our reputation and progress as an eSports territory. It cuts our player base off from premier 3D animation tech and mechanics that they should study."

For the Japanese developers behind major fighting series like Street Fighter, concerns also arise that losing touch with innovations in foreign titles risks stagnating innovation of their own acclaimed franchises.

In summary, Japan‘s curious status as perhaps the only developed country banning Mortal Kombat 11 has angered fans, impacted competitive gaming there, and could even stunt inspiration for domestic studios. Despite a rich arcade culture and enthusiastic fighting game community, censorship policies in Japan continue to sit at odds with modern content standards worldwide.