The Beat Saber Linkin Park Songs Are Censored

Developer Beat Games Publisher Beat Games Release Date May 21, 2019 Genre Virtual Reality Multiplayer modes Local, Online, Online Features Platforms PC, PlayStation 4, Oculus Rift Monetization Expansion DLC, One Time Purchase Purchase (Some links may be affiliated) Beat Saber – Steam

And That's Not the Only Problem

The release of the Beat Saber Linkin Park songs has started off on a sour note due to a flurry of problems — including the revelation that the game makes use of the censored versions of these classic alternative rock tracks.

Beat Saber is a game that's all about breaking blocks in VR to some pretty kickin' tunes. As with most rhythm games, part of the appeal is playing to popular songs and the recent addition of selected Linkin Park tracks has made many fans happy. Unfortunately, it's been discovered that these are the censored versions of the Linkin Park songs.

Check out the censorship for yourself in this Beat Saber Linkin Park gameplay video by YouTuber SillerSpiller:

In the clip above, you can hear the censored line, "Tell me what the f*** is wrong with me!" from the Linkin Park track "Given Up."

Understandably, quite a few people in the /r/pcgaming submission talking about this topic are disappointed. After all, the alternative band's first album Hybrid Theory launched in 2000, so many of the group's fans are likely in their 20s or older.

This isn't exactly a new problem, mind. A Reddit submission from last year notes that the Green Day songs similarly cut out the curse words with a mute censor. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band feature similar practices despite many fans not being satisfied with the end product. We've reached out to Beat Games on the censorship issue and will update this article when we receive a reply.

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Beat Saber Linkin Park Tracks Have Other Problems, Too

The censorship is bad enough, but that's not the only problem with these Linkin Park tracks — YouTube videos are getting taken down pretty quickly when they go live.

Naturally, a big part of the appeal of Beat Saber is uploading it to YouTube to show off your gameplay. Unfortunately, it looks like anyone trying to make these videos are going to be in for a difficult time.

Redditors are also reporting that the quality of the songs isn't that great in their opinion. According to one user, the tracks appear to be 4-lane only, a setup that some feel limits the challenge of the game.

If you'd like to buy the Beat Saber Linkin Park tracks anyway, you can pick them up on Steam (along with songs from other artists) at $1.99 a pop. You will, of course, need to buy Beat Saber on Steam for $29.99 or your regional equivalent (and you'll need a VR headset, too).

What do you think about the new Linkin Park tracks being censored in Beat Saber? Would you prefer to buy the uncensored version of a track? Let us know in the comments below!

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Robert N. Adams

Senior Writer

I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I haven't stopped gaming since. CCGs, Tabletop Games, Pen & Paper RPGs – I've tried a whole bunch of stuff over the years and I'm always looking to try more!

Original Article