Schedule I restricted on Steam in Australia due to classification issue

The open-world indie game Schedule I has been removed from the Australian Steam store following a compliance issue related to classification. Developer Tyler of TVGS confirmed the game had not been submitted to the Australian Classification Board, as required by law.

In a post shared by the developer on Reddit and quoted via the Schedule I Steam discussions page, Tyler explained:

"It turns out all games in Australia have to receive a classification before they can be sold. I was under the impression this was only the case for console or physical releases. It seems like this rule is pretty inconsistently enforced because there’s a ton of unclassified games being sold in Australia. We’re getting the classification process underway today and will hopefully get this resolved in the next couple of days. Sorry for the inconvenience everyone! tl;dr Not banned – just awaiting classification."

According to the Australian Classification Board, all computer games offered through online storefronts must be classified before distribution. This applies to digital platforms on personal computers, mobile devices, and gaming consoles, under Australia's National Classification Scheme.

According to SteamDB, Schedule I's store package is marked as "Not in AU," confirming its current unavailability in Australia. The game remains accessible in all other supported regions.

Schedule I was removed from sale in Australia after reaching over 459,000 concurrent players on Steam, due to a classification compliance issue. Its removal from the Australian storefront has drawn attention to ongoing challenges faced by independent developers navigating global legal frameworks.

Similar challenges have emerged on other platforms, such as Amazon's removal of the EmulationStation app from its App Store due to concerns it could facilitate unauthorised content access. This example underscores how platform compliance and regional regulation can affect game availability, especially when regulatory compliance, like classification, is involved.

Steam's onboarding documentation does not appear to include region-specific legal compliance prompts, such as those relating to mandatory classification in Australia. Developers are expected to ensure their games comply with local laws, but there is no indication that Steam enforces automated legal checks during the submission process.

In contrast, Google Play's regional requirements include built-in compliance steps during app submission, prompting developers to provide documentation for legal approval in countries with platform-enforced national regulations. These prompts appear in the Play Console and are mandatory for distribution in those regions.

TVGS has indicated it is now seeking classification to restore Australian access. At the time of writing, the game remains available in all other supported territories.