Ubisoft removes swastikas from German version of South Park RPG

The German version of South Park: The Stick of Truth, the upcoming role-playing game from Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment, will not feature any swastikas, Ubisoft has confirmed. The Nazi symbols were discovered by VG247 during a recent play-through.

"With regards to the German version, all Nazi symbols have been removed from the game in accordance with German law," an Ubisoft representative told the site.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is not only censored in Germany, but also many other regions worldwide. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that various anal probing and abortion scenes had been censored for the United Kingdom, European, and Middle Eastern versions of the game.

The South Park franchise, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is known for pushing the envelope, so it comes as little surprise that their original vision for the game would have to be pared back somewhat to meet specific regional guidelines.

In the United States, South Park: The Stick of Truth is rated M-for-Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Below is a selection of the ESRB's content description for the game.

Cutscenes occasionally depict “cartoony” characters dismembered or decapitated. The game includes several instances of mature humor and sexual material: one extended sequence depicts characters getting anally probed by alien creatures; another sequence (in an abortion clinic) depicts doctors using a vacuum to perform procedures on male characters; one level takes place inside the rectum/colon of a character (sex toys, random objects and fecal matter appear in the level)—all sequences are depicted in a cartoony and over-the-top manner. Characters are occasionally depicted nude (e.g., breasts, buttocks, male genitalia); one extended sequence depicts an out-of-focus couple having sex in the background; as players engage in turn-based battle in the foreground, sexual moaning sounds/dialogue is heard. During the course of the game, drug paraphernalia can be seen strewn around a methamphetamine lab. The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” “a*shole,” and “f*ggot” can be heard in the dialogue.

South Park: The Stick of Truth launches March 4 for PC and consoles. Be sure to check out our newly published preview of The Stick of Truth, written by GameSpot editor Mark Walton. He says, "South Park: The Stick of Truth is shaping up to be every bit as crude, offensive, and poorly animated as the legendary TV show."

Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch