Fortnite brings in-game age ratings to player-made content

Age and content ratings are coming to Fortnite next month. Beginning November 14, first and third-party content for the popular online game will be required to have an assigned rating from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC).

With Epic's gradual pivot into making Fortnite a content creation platform (extending its revenue possibilities), the IARC wants to ensure young players are aware of what experiences they'll be getting into. Safety in regards to the young demographic has been a key issue with Fortnite and other games like Roblox.

The IARC rating system in Fortnite

"As Fortnite continues to evolve into a multi-game ecosystem featuring a diverse range of games and experiences from Epic and third-party creators, the IARC rating system gives parents and players access to trusted and familiar ratings that help them make informed decisions about what and how they play," wrote Epic.

When a player is prepared to publish their Fortnite island for other players to see, they'll have to fill out the IARC questionnaire before it's sent out to be reviewed by Epic's moderators. Age and region-based ratings will be granted upon completion, and will be "applied and prominently displayed prior to access."

The IARC noted that participating ratings boards such as the US' ESRB or Europe's PEGI can retroactively modify the region-specific ratings based on their own review of the experience after it's published.

Creators can begin filling out the IARC questionnaire on Monday, October 16. Epic warned that any island without a rating before the November 14 date will be automatically delisted.