Fortnite mandating individual age ratings for all content starting in November
As it 'evolves into multi-game ecosystem'.
Epic has announced it's introducing individual age ratings for all playable first- and third-party content in Fortnite as part of what it calls its evolution into a "multi-game ecosystem".
Third-party developed content in Fortnite has become an increasing focus for Epic in recent times, and the company introduced its Unreal Editor for Fortnite tools - also known as Creative 2.0 - back in March. These enable creators to bring fully fledged Unreal Editor experiences into Fortnite, complete with custom assets, animations, audio, and advanced VFX effects, in a bid to turn the game into a creator-led platform closer to the likes of Roblox.
And now, as its "multi-game ecosystem" ambitions grow, Epic has announced it'll be making age ratings mandatory for all first- and third-party playable experiences in Fortnite as of 14th November this year.
Age ratings in Fortnite will utilise the process established by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), requiring creators to submit a questionnaire detailing the content of their experience, starting on 16th October. Using the provided answers, the IARC will then automatically assign the appropriate region-specific age rating (ratings from the likes of PEGI, ESRB, USK, and ACB are all supported) alongside any relevant content descriptors. Participating rating authorities can then modify these assigned ratings based on their own review of the published experience, should they wish to do so.
"By implementing the IARC rating system within Fortnite, Epic continues to elevate its commitment to providing families with tools to make informed decisions about which experiences are appropriate for their children," ESRB president and IARC chairperson Patricia Vance said in a statement. "As Fortnite evolves from its Battle Royale roots into a broader ecosystem containing a variety of content from Epic and other creators, it's especially important that parents have a clear understanding of what their children want to access."
Fortnite's introduction of mandatory per-experience age ratings will coincide with the release of new parental control options that can be used to universally block islands above a certain rating threshold. Parents can unlock specific islands above that threshold using their PIN, and it'll also be possible to prevent children from designing their own Creative Mode levels if desired.
Eurogamer understands the game's current rating ceiling will not change from content offered at present.
Today's news follows last week's admission by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney that recent growth in Fortnite had been driven primarily by creator content, but that the "significant revenue sharing" model employed by the company to attract creator interest was a "lower margin business than we had when Fortnite Battle Royale took off". Sweeney made the comments as part of a lengthy statement attempting to justify Epic's decision lay off 830 employees - nearly 16% of the company.