Games Delayed/Cancelled Due to Parallels To Real World Events
Games that ended up being delayed or cancelled due to accidental parallels to real world tragedies, deaths, or other events that would make the game seem tasteless or insensitive. Doesn't include games being directly effected by events, such as games delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak halting development, or studios being affected by natural disasters. Also doesn't include games altered to account for events but still came out on their scheduled release date.
Feel free to suggest additions, you can probably tell I only have a limited amount of examples to start off with.
Feel free to suggest additions, you can probably tell I only have a limited amount of examples to start off with.
12 Games
Supposedly delayed in the UK and Japan due to 9/11 (Came out one day before 9/11 in the US).
Delayed a full year from its release date due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Cancelled not only due to seeming inappropriate after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, but also due to Konami's acquisition of Hudson Soft.
After an incident in Toronto involving a man driving a rental truck into pedestrians, killing 10 people, the console ports were delayed due to seeming inappropriate at the time.
Kind of a strange case. It was often claimed this game's production was halted due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, as the original release date was 3 days after the event, but the director stated in interviews this was not the case, and instead it was due to the development team simply not being able to complete the game in time for its release date.
Delayed in order to make changes to aspects that may have seemed insensitive after 9/11, which included removing an entire playable character.
Delayed a couple weeks in order to make modifications to aspects that could have come off as insensitive following 9/11, such as references to New York and mentions of terrorism.
Indefinitely delayed in both New Zealand and Japan due to massive earthquakes occuring in both countries. The UK release was delayed out of sensitivity to the Tohoku tsunami and earthquake.
Delayed after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami due to a character that summons tsunamis.
Cancelled after the cover and overall game design appeared insensitive to the 9/11 attacks, and also due to the overall decline of the Dreamcast.
Delayed after the events of 9/11 to remove buildings and locations resembling the World Trade Center.
Delayed from its original release date due to similarities to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
