ESRB Ratings

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings are created to provide information about video game content, so you can make the right decision before purchasing the product.

ESRB ratings consist of two parts: categories with suggested age appropriateness for the game, and content descriptors that indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating.

Rating Categories

There are 7 rating categories in total, and each suggests age appropriateness:

Everyone

Content is generally suitable for all ages. May contain minimal cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

Everyone 10+

Content is generally suitable for ages 10 and above. May contain more cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal suggestive themes.

Teen

Content is generally suitable for ages 13 and above. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

Mature 17+

Content is generally suitable for ages 17 and above. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.

Adults Only 18+

Content suitable only for adults ages 18 and above. May include prolonged scenes of intense violence, graphic sexual content, and/or gambling with real currency.

Rating Pending

Not yet assigned a final ESRB rating. Appears only in advertising, marketing, and promotional materials related to a physical (e.g., boxed) video game that is expected to carry an ESRB rating, and should be replaced by a game's rating once it has been assigned.

Rating Pending (Likely Mature 17+)

Not yet assigned a final ESRB rating but anticipated to be rated Mature 17+. Appears only in advertising, marketing, and promotional materials related to a physical (e.g., boxed) video game that is expected to carry an ESRB rating, and should be replaced by a game’s rating once it has been assigned.

Content Descriptors

Content Descriptors indicate content that may have triggered a particular rating or may be of interest or concern. The game gets the ESRB rating based on its content.

Alcohol Reference: Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages
Animated Blood: Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood
Blood: Depictions of blood
Blood and Gore: Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts
Comic Mischief: Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor
Crude Humor: Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including "bathroom" humor
Drug Reference: Reference to and/or images of illegal drugs
Fantasy Violence: Violent actions of a fantasy nature, involving human or non-human characters in situations easily distinguishable from real life
Gambling Themes: Prominently featured images or activities that are typically associated with real-world gambling even if they are not directly simulating a gambling experience
Intense Violence: Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons, and depictions of human injury and death.
Language: Mild to moderate use of profanity
Lyrics: Mild references to profanity, sexuality, violence, alcohol or drug use in music
Mature Humor: Depictions or dialogue involving "adult" humor, including sexual references
Nudity: Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity
Partial Nudity: Brief and/or mild depictions of nudity
Real Gambling: Player can gamble, including betting or wagering real cash or currency
Sexual Content: Non-explicit depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including partial nudity
Sexual Themes: References to sex or sexuality
Sexual Violence: Depictions of rape or other violent sexual acts
Simulated Gambling: Player can gamble without betting or wagering real cash or currency. Typically assigned to simulations of casino-based gambling.
Strong Language: Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity
Strong Lyrics: Explicit and/or frequent references to profanity, sex, violence, alcohol or drug use in music
Strong Sexual Content: Explicit and/or frequent depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity
Suggestive Themes: Mild provocative references or materials
Tobacco Reference: Reference to and/or images of tobacco products
Use of Alcohol: The consumption of alcoholic beverages
Use of Drugs: The consumption or use of illegal drugs
Use of Tobacco: The consumption of tobacco products
Violence: Scenes involving aggressive conflict. May contain bloodless dismemberment.
Violent References: References to violent acts

IMPORTANT NOTE: Content Descriptors are applied relative to the Rating Category assigned and are not intended to be a complete listing of content. When a Content Descriptor is preceded by the term “Mild” it is intended to convey low frequency, intensity or severity.

Interactive Elements

Interactive Elements highlight interactive or online features that may be of interest or concern but do not influence the rating assignment of a product. This includes users' ability to interact with each other, the sharing of users' location with other users, if purchases of digital goods or services are offered, and/or if unrestricted internet access is provided.

In-Game Purchases: Contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency, including but not limited to bonus levels, skins, music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades (e.g., to disable ads).

In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items): Contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency (or with virtual coins or other forms of in-game currency that can be purchased with real world currency) for which the player doesn’t know prior to purchase the specific digital goods or premiums they will be receiving (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, mystery awards).

Users Interact: Indicates possible exposure to unfiltered/uncensored user-generated content, including user-to-user communications and media sharing via social media and networks

Shares Location: Includes the ability to display the user’s location to other users of the app

Unrestricted Internet: Provides unrestricted access to the internet (e.g., browser, search engine)

Online Music Not Rated by the ESRB: Warns that songs that are streamed or downloaded as add-ons for music-based games have not been rated and that their content has not been considered in the ESRB rating assignment.