ⓘ Interactive saber
On October 8, 2026, Saber Interactive released Hellraiser by Clive Barker: covera new survival horror game that’s definitely not for the faint of heart. The title is based on Hellraiser films, known for their extreme violence and nudity. Players take on the role of Aidan, who must save his girlfriend Sunny from a hellish parallel world. There he encounters not only many grotesque monsters, but also the infamous Pinhead and his Cenobites. From a first-person perspective, players explore, solve puzzles, and battle enemies. The Cenobites are demonic beings for whom pain and pleasure are inseparable. As a result, the game doesn’t hold back: mutilated bodies, bloody torture scenes, BDSM imagery and nudity are commonplace – and this has apparently proven disastrous for one YouTuber.
As IGN reports, French YouTuber j0nathan posted a roughly hour-long gameplay video in September that also showed the particularly explicit opening sequence. Despite claiming to have covered up the nudity with black boxes, YouTube removed the video — and shortly afterward, it deleted his entire channel, which the creator had built up over a decade with around 3,000 videos. The channel had around 190,000 subscribers. YouTube justified the removal by citing serious or repeated violations of its policies regarding sexual content and nudity.
The YouTuber considers the decision disproportionate and emphasizes that he was content to show scenes from a commercial video game. An important detail: talk to IGNj0nathan confirmed that although he had marked his video as “Not made for children”, he had not applied an explicit age limit. However, it remains unclear whether this was actually a deciding factor in the channel’s removal. After several unsuccessful appeals, j0nathan announced on October 8 that he would take legal action under the EU Digital Services Act.
Reddit accuses YouTube of double standards
On Reddit, the affair sparked strong reactions. Many users accuse YouTube of double standards, criticizing the fact that videos with more revealing content seemingly stay on the platform without issue, while a censored gaming video results in the removal of an entire channel. Music videos, sexual advertisements and so-called educational videos are frequently cited as examples. A user also points out that even IGN watch the video again Hellraiser: The Rebirth was largely uncensored. User u/Limit_Ok, for example, writes:
“I was also reported for uploading a video of this game. My video showed everything uncensored. First offense, no strike. Seems strange that I showed some leniency.”
Some Redditors suspect faulty automated moderation or preferential treatment for particularly large channels, although neither theory can be substantiated. The YouTuber himself has also faced criticism – partly because he didn’t apply an age restriction to the video and partly because some Redditors believe that as an experienced YouTuber he should have handled such an explicit horror game more carefully. Nonetheless, an overwhelming majority still view the complete removal of a channel built for over a decade as a massive overreaction. Readers are invited to share their thoughts on the topic in the comments section below.
When I was a kid in the 90s, my Gameboy was my faithful companion. After school, the PlayStation was on. When I finally got my first PC, I was completely hooked. Since then, my passion for video games has never wavered. For me, writing for Notebookcheck means reporting on topics that are really close to my heart – in addition to games, I also like to write about e-mobility, photovoltaics and innovative gadgets. When I’m not sitting at my computer, I’m probably on a water rescue mission on the Baltic coast or trying to counteract the downsides of my geek life – namely sitting for long periods of time – at the local swimming pool.
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