Once you go beyond Steam, age ratings stop being optional. Every console storefront requires a rating on file before it will approve your store page, so the real questions are which ratings you need and how to get them. Leave it too late and you hand yourself a delay right when you can least afford one. We can help you avoid that.
The Good News: IARC Handles Most of It
If you are shipping digitally, on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo eShop, Epic, or mobile, you don’t need to approach individual rating boards for most regions. The IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) handles it for you.
IARC is a single self-assessment questionnaire that produces ratings from several participating boards at once. Answer one set of questions about your content, and it assigns ratings for:
- ESRB (North America: United States, Canada, Mexico)
- PEGI (Europe, and the UK)
- USK (Germany)
- ClassInd (Brazil)
- ACB (Australia, with New Zealand inheriting the rating for digital)
- GRAC (South Korea)
- Plus generic IARC ratings for regions without a participating board
And it is free. The self-assessment costs nothing, which is why it is the default path for almost every indie shipping digitally.
One note on the UK: it is covered through IARC by PEGI, not the BBFC. The BBFC is the UK’s film classifier, and it only matters for games in a couple of narrow cases (more below). For a normal digital release, your PEGI rating covers you.
One note on South Korea: GRAC joined IARC in December 2017, so a Korean rating comes out of the same questionnaire. Storefront support has rolled out gradually (Google Play, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, and others), so check GRAC coverage on your specific storefront before you count on it for a Korea launch.
What IARC Does NOT Cover
A few cases need attention regardless of your IARC rating:
- CERO (Japan): Japan is the big exception. CERO is required for every physical release and for any 18+ content. Some digital storefronts have softened this: the Japanese Nintendo eShop accepts an IARC-generated CERO rating, and the Japan PlayStation Store has accepted IARC since March 2022 for content rated below 18+. But 18+ titles on PS Store, and anything physical, still need a direct CERO submission. Budget roughly 4 to 6 weeks once review begins, plus a fee per console platform (see Physical Releases below).
- BBFC (UK), explicit content only: The BBFC is not part of IARC at all. You only need a separate BBFC submission if your game carries explicit (R18) sexual content, or it is a disc product that is mostly film rather than an interactive game. Everything else is covered by PEGI through IARC.
- Australia, near the R18+/RC line: IARC can assign R18+ in Australia for digital games, so a mature rating alone does not force you off the automated path. The risk runs the other way. Australia’s tool can return RC (Refused Classification), a legal ban on selling, importing, or advertising the game there, and it tends to over-flag borderline content. If your game sits close to that R18+/RC boundary, a direct Classification Board submission or an accredited classifier is the safer route, because an RC from the automated tool blocks your Australian release outright.
Which Rating Board Do You Need
IARC handles the boards above, but it pays to know what each one weighs, because your questionnaire answers are what produce the rating.
ESRB (North America) is the board most North American publishers and platforms expect. Five age bands (E, E10+, T, M, AO), each with content descriptors.
PEGI (Europe and the UK) uses five age bands (3, 7, 12, 16, 18) with descriptors for violence, fear, bad language, discrimination, gambling, sex, and drugs. It is centrally administered, so one PEGI rating applies across its member countries.
USK (Germany) is mandatory for sale in Germany and carries legal force under German youth-protection law. IARC covers USK for digital at every rating level; physical retail needs the traditional procedure. Germany also draws the line on graphic violence tighter than most regions, so a game that lands at M with ESRB or 16 with PEGI can come back USK 18.
ClassInd (Brazil) is mandatory for sale in Brazil, and IARC covers it for digital at every rating level.
ACB (Australia) runs G, PG, M, MA15+, and R18+, plus RC for content that exceeds the R18+ threshold or is otherwise prohibited. IARC covers ACB for digital, and New Zealand inherits the Australian rating for digital releases. New Zealand keeps its own classification office mainly for physical media and restricted titles.
CERO (Japan) has five age bands (A, B, C, D, Z) and is required for physical releases and 18+ content, with the partial digital exceptions noted above.
GRAC (South Korea) is South Korea’s game board and an IARC member, so a Korean rating comes out of the same questionnaire on supported storefronts.
What Determines Your Rating
Boards look at a fixed set of content categories. With IARC the rating is generated from your self-assessment; with a traditional submission the board reviews your build directly. Knowing what they weigh helps you answer accurately either way.
Violence. Usually the single biggest factor. Cartoon and fantasy violence are treated more leniently than realistic violence, and blood, gore, and injury detail all push the rating up. Context counts as much as content.
Language. Profanity drives ratings. Mild or infrequent language sits low; repeated or strong language climbs. The same word weighs more in a sexual or hateful context than in general use.
Sexual content. Nudity, sexual themes, and sexual activity are scored separately from violence. Partial nudity in a non-sexual context reads differently than a sexualized depiction, and suggestive themes are judged on frequency and context.
Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Is it discussed, implied, or shown on screen? That distinction shapes the rating. Content that rewards or incentivizes illegal drug use is treated far more harshly than passive depiction, and it can trigger RC in Australia.
Gambling. Casino-style mechanics get flagged even when no real money changes hands. Some regions go further: in Australia, simulated gambling carries a mandatory minimum of R18+, and paid loot boxes a mandatory minimum of M.
In-game purchases. Microtransactions and loot boxes have to be declared. Several boards have specific criteria for randomized rewards, so disclose them in your questionnaire and submission materials.
When to Submit: The Timeline Matters
How long ratings take depends on the board, but remember, a digital-only game usually won’t need individual board submissions at all.
IARC self-assessment: Instant. You complete the questionnaire and get your ratings on the spot. The boards do monitor IARC ratings and can reclassify a game if your answers don’t hold up, so be honest and thorough.
CERO: Roughly 4 to 6 weeks. Japan is a key indie market, and CERO is required for physical releases and 18+ content. If you need it, start early, and budget translation time, since CERO communicates in Japanese.
ESRB: A traditional submission for a physical release runs several weeks. ESRB contacts you within about five business days of receipt and rates the build you sent. Change the content after the rating and you have to disclose it.
PEGI: A traditional submission for physical or console-direct requires completing PEGI’s “coder” training first. After that, the rating issues on questionnaire completion, subject to a possible audit.
USK: The traditional procedure caps at 20 working days for a standard review, with faster urgent (12 working days) and ad hoc (7 working days) options.
ClassInd: A traditional Ministry of Justice submission for a physical release is less standardized and can run several weeks.
ACB: A direct Classification Board submission, which you might choose for content near the R18+/RC line, can take several weeks. Priority processing is available for an added fee.
Plan on several weeks from your first traditional submission to having every rating in hand. That is the realistic window the first time a studio does this.
One thing studios miss: ratings gate your certification timeline. Your ratings have to be locked before you submit for platform certification, because platforms won’t process cert without a rating on file. Rating comes first, then cert. If you are aiming at a launch date, work backward: subtract rating lead time, then certification lead time, and that tells you when your final build has to be ready.
Physical Releases Require Separate Submissions
IARC only covers digital storefronts. Any physical release, whether boxed retail, distribution through a physical retailer, or a hybrid, means traditional board submissions in every territory.
ESRB: Public fees aren’t listed; industry figures land somewhere between roughly $800 and $4,000+ depending on length and content. Submit the game with packaging artwork and a full content disclosure.
PEGI / USK: Europe requires direct board submissions for physical. Germany’s USK runs about €1,200 for a standard review, or around €300 under the reduced procedure for small games. Other European fees vary.
CERO: Charged per console platform. Figure roughly $600 per platform as a member, or about $1,750 as a non-member, and submit separately for each console.
ACB: Australia’s Classification Board charges on a sliding scale based on content, with a priority option for an added fee. Submit packaging and content materials.
Physical releases also carry artwork rules. The rating label has to appear on your packaging at a specific size and placement, and every board has exact requirements. Request them from the board once your rating is assigned.
Content That Triggers a Higher Rating Than Expected
Studios routinely underestimate how content gets scored. The usual surprises:
Blood splatter. Even stylized blood can move a game from E to E10+. Amount, frequency, and visual detail all feed in.
Character design. Characters who read as under 18 in a sexualized context trigger a mandatory higher rating, or outright refusal, in most regions. That holds even for fantasy or non-human characters.
Background content. Anything in a scene gets rated, not just what gameplay points at. A poster with suggestive imagery, a radio playing explicit lyrics, a headline with profanity. Reviewers catch all of it.
Online interaction. If your game has online features, the board looks at how you manage user-generated content. Open chat or content sharing needs demonstrable moderation, and weak moderation can mean a higher rating or a requirement to add filters.
How to Prepare Your Submission
The process goes smoother when your materials are complete. What you need:
A playable build. Not a trailer, not a demo. A build that represents the finished game. If yours has multiple endings or heavy variation, send the most content-rich version.
A content descriptor form. The written disclosure the board requires. List every content element: violence type, language examples, gambling mechanics, in-game purchases, online features. Be specific, because vague descriptions slow the review.
Rating label artwork. Each board has its own requirements for the label that shows on your store page and packaging, down to exact dimensions and placement. Request them once your rating is assigned.
A summary document. One page on your game’s content: the gameplay, the context around any mature material, and your intended audience. Intent matters. Violence in a fantasy setting rates differently than the same violence played straight.
Rating Updates: Don’t Skip This Step
Change your game significantly after it is rated and the boards expect disclosure. That includes:
- New content added after the rated build (levels, characters, dialogue)
- Changes to existing content (art swaps, rewrites, mechanic changes)
- Changes to in-game purchases or monetization
- Changes to online features or moderation
Skip the disclosure and you risk a revoked rating, removal from storefronts, or fines. When in doubt, file a change request. Boards reward transparency with faster reviews.
The Bottom Line
Treat age ratings as optional and they become a launch blocker. Start early, submit complete materials, and be honest about your content.
For digital releases, IARC covers the vast majority of your rating needs for free. The exceptions to plan around are Japan (CERO for physical and 18+ content), the UK (BBFC only for explicit R18 content), and Australia near the R18+/RC line, where leaning on the automated tool risks a Refused Classification. Physical releases mean traditional board submissions in every territory, each with its own fees and timelines.
Not sure which board to approach, or what your submission needs? Reach out and we will walk you through it for your specific platforms.
Quick Reference: Rating Boards by Region
| Board | Region | Timeline | IARC Covered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESRB | North America (US, Canada, Mexico) | Instant via IARC; physical several weeks | Yes |
| PEGI | Europe and UK | Instant via IARC; traditional needs “coder” training | Yes |
| USK | Germany | Instant via IARC; traditional max 20 working days | Yes (digital, all levels) |
| CERO | Japan | 4-6 weeks | Partial (eShop; PS Store under 18+) |
| ClassInd | Brazil | Instant via IARC; physical several weeks | Yes |
| ACB | Australia (NZ inherits for digital) | Instant via IARC; Board submission several weeks | Yes (incl. R18+; RC automation risk) |
| GRAC | South Korea | Instant via IARC | Yes (member since 2017; check storefront) |
| BBFC | UK (R18 / film products only) | Several weeks | No (UK uses PEGI via IARC) |