Speaking to ShackNews marketing man Doug Lombardi has said that he was surprised the Australian censors refused to give 2 a certification for release - effectively banning the new game.

"We were surprised to hear of this news yesterday. Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed," Lombardi admitted.

"It would be a shame if folks in Australia, or anywhere else, are unable to purchase Left 4 Dead 2 because of a ratings issue."

The violent content of the new game was blamed for the ban - having in the past refused to pass many major releases. The country's highest rating is, problematically, a 15+ certification.

Left 4 Dead 2 is due out in November. It is unclear if anything can be done to get the game out in Australia.

By Luke Guttridge