The game was originally slated for release on 25 September 2001 . However , the fallout of the September 11 attacks forced Sony to postpone the release while modifying the marketing campaign . The game was released on 6 November . The game 's original cover had Gabe and Lian in action inside a courtroom that had a U.S. flag in the background amidst a swirl of gas . The anthrax scare following the attacks resulted in the cover being changed to a simple one showing Gabe and Lian 's faces , while the header line " United States Federal Bureau of Investigation " on the back cover was changed to " Agency Mission Briefing "
anthrax scare
2001 anthrax attacks
Syphon Filter 3