Schedule 1 Possibly Banned in Australia — Fans Say They're Locked Out

A growing number of Schedule 1 players are reporting they can no longer access the game in Australia, and there may not be an official ban yet, but it sure looks like one.

Developed by Australian solo dev Tyler, Schedule 1 is a gritty open-world sim about making money by selling drugs. The game recently got an update adding storage units and a jukebox, but shortly after, Australian players began noticing they were locked out of launching it.

“This product is not available in your region.”

That’s the error some Steam users, like TheMennace, are getting when they try to open the game. Over on Reddit, user EntireCoast3544 posted a screenshot showing the same message, sparking speculation that Schedule 1 might be shadow-banned or geo-blocked in its country of origin.

To add fuel to the fire, players who use a VPN to spoof another country say they can still access the game without issue. That strongly suggests the restriction is regional, but again, there’s no official confirmation from either the developer or the Australian Classification Board.

Strangely enough, Schedule 1 still appears to be rated PG for “mild violence” and “online interactivity” on the official site of the Australian Classification Board. This would normally imply it’s available for all audiences with parental guidance. But that rating hasn’t stopped Steam from blocking Australian access — either because of a quiet takedown request or a misclassification correction in progress.

So far, Tyler hasn’t issued a statement. That’s leaving a lot of room for speculation. And I can't help but remind you that we’ve compared Schedule 1 to Breaking Bad in explaining why the game went viral. Check this!

Australia’s Long History of Banning Games

If Schedule 1 is banned, it wouldn’t be out of character for Australia. The country has some of the strictest video game content laws in the world.

Australia has pulled or blocked games in the past for:

• Depictions of drug use for rewards
• Sexual violence
• Excessive or stylized violence

In 2020, Wasteland 3 was initially banned because players could use drugs to gain performance boosts. A censored version was later approved with an R18+ rating. Silent Hill f was also reported banned earlier this year, though it turned out the game hadn’t even been submitted for classification yet, meaning it technically wasn’t banned, just unclassified and therefore restricted.

Since Schedule 1 is about maximizing drug sales and cash profits, it's not hard to imagine why it might draw the ire of the Classification Board.

Not the First Time Schedule 1 Faced Trouble

Problems are problems, but what about game support from Tyler? Just look at Schedule 1 Roadmap to see that support really exists. And then BAN!

This isn't the game’s first legal gray zone. In April, Schedule 1 came under investigation by Movie Games, the studio behind Drug Dealer Simulator, for potential copyright infringement. The allegations? Tyler’s project was way too similar in gameplay and theme.

That situation is still developing, and now with the potential region-lock in Australia, the heat just got turned up even more.

Despite all the region-lock evidence, it's important to note that no formal ban has been announced. The Classification Board hasn’t changed its official rating, and Tyler has stayed silent.

That doesn’t stop Australian fans from worrying though. A lot of them are asking: What happens to development if Tyler himself can’t access or distribute the game legally in his own country? We don’t know yet. But if the block is permanent, it could mean major obstacles for Schedule 1’s future.

What Games Are Banned in Australia?

Here’s a look at other well-known titles that have faced bans in Australia:

Until we hear something official, this looks like another case of Australia’s opaque game classification system creating confusion. And if you’re an Aussie fan of Schedule 1, you might want to keep your VPN subscription active.