Hotline Miami 2 dev suggests Australians pirate their game

Well, this isn't something you hear every day — a developer suggesting people actually pirate their game.

In response to the Australian Classification Boards decision to refuse classification to Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, effectively barring the game from sale in the country, designer Jonatan Söderström has suggested those affected by the decision to just pirate it. Söderström's suggestion apparently came in response to an Australian fan, who asked if there would be any sort of way he could obtain the game and pay for it.

"If it ends up being not released in Australia, just pirate it after release," Söderström wrote in reply. "No need to send us any money, just enjoy the game!"

A Devolver Digital rep confirmed the email as authentic to Ars Technica. "He’s said similar things in the past and yes, I can confirm he wants people to enjoy the game." Devolver also tweeted confirmation through the fictional Fork Parker CFO account.

Devolver Digital issued a response to the classification yesterday, expressing concern and disappointment over the decision, but has opted not to challenge the ruling. The publisher added "we stand by our developers, their creative vision for the storyline, its characters and the game and look forward to delivering Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number to fans very soon."