Age ratings (or classifications) are official labels that tell players and parents what kind of content is inside a game and from what age it is considered appropriate. They are used by governments and platforms to protect minors, by parents to make informed decisions, and by retailers to decide what they can legally or ethically sell. Without a proper rating, a game may be blocked from major stores, banned in certain regions, or refused by retailers.
The idea of formal age ratings for games wasn’t always there. In the early 1990s, violent titles like Mortal Kombat and Doom sparked public debate in the US about whether children were being exposed to harmful content. In 1993, the U.S. Congress held hearings on video game violence, which put heavy pressure on the industry to regulate itself before the government stepped in. The result was the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994, a self-regulatory body funded by the industry that introduced the now-familiar “E for Everyone, T for Teen, M for Mature” rating icons.
In Europe, things evolved differently. By the late 1990s, multiple countries were using their own national systems, which caused confusion for publishers and consumers. To unify the market, the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) ****system was launched in 2003 with support from the European Commission. PEGI introduced standardised ratings (3, 7, 12, 16, 18) across most of Europe, alongside content descriptors like “violence,” “gambling,” or “bad language.”
Today, ESRB in North America and PEGI in Europe remain the most widely recognised systems, but they are not the only ones.
Different regions have their own classification bodies.
Each of these boards works slightly differently, and historically developers had to apply to each one separately, which made global releases complex and expensive. This model made sense when games were primarily distributed on physical copies, since a publisher could plan region-by-region certification before shipping discs or cartridges. But once digital platforms like Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network emerged, games became instantly available worldwide. That shift made it much harder for small studios to navigate different rating systems at once. To address this, the major authorities came together and created a shared framework - the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) - which now streamlines the process for digital releases.
Instead of applying to each board, developers fill out one standardised questionnaire through the developer portal of the store they are publishing on. The system then automatically generates local ratings - an ESRB label for North America, PEGI for Europe, USK for Germany, and so on. The game receives an IARC ID that can be reused across platforms that participate in the system.
Most major digital storefronts - including Google Play, Microsoft Store (Windows & Xbox), Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Epic Games Store, Meta Quest Store, Amazon Luna, and even Fortnite as a platform - are part of the IARC system. This means that by filling out the IARC questionnaire once, a developer gets ratings for all these ecosystems at once.
There are, however, two notable exceptions:
The IARC questionnaire asks developers to disclose specific types of content. The answers determine how strict the age rating will be across regions. The main categories include:
The picture changes if a developer wants to release physical copies. Retail distribution requires a “traditional” rating certificate from the relevant board, and IARC is not accepted for this purpose. As examples, both ESRB and PEGI charge fees for physical certification which can cost several thousand euros, depending on size and platform. This means indie studios planning only digital releases can rely on IARC, but those aiming for boxed copies need to budget for certification.
For small studios, the key is to use the IARC system whenever possible. It offers a unified, no-cost way to meet platform requirements and ensures compliance across most of the globe. The main responsibility is to complete the questionnaire honestly and thoroughly. If the disclosures are incomplete, the game may be reclassified, removed, or even trigger compliance issues.
If you do plan to go into physical distribution, start the process early, since certification takes longer and adds costs. Also remember that new content, expansions, or DLC may need re-evaluation.