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The Sims 4 rated R18+ in Russia as it contains “gay propaganda”

Russia will be giving The Sims 4 their equivalent of an R18+ rating after calling same-sex relationships in the game “gay propaganda”.

The Sims 4 has been “prohibited for children… in accordance with the law number 436-FZ,” the game’s official Russian Twitter account advised.

That law, titled “On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development”, was amended prior to the Sochi Winter Olympics and prohibits “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships.”

EA has stated they won’t be removing same-sex content in the country.

“We have no plans to alter The Sims 4,” Deborah Coster, a spokesperson for The Sims, told Polygon. “One of the key tenets of The Sims is that it is up to the player to decide how to play the game. We provide the simulation sandbox and player choice and creativity does the rest.”


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Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.