In collaboration with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), Fortnite will offer internationally recognized age and content ratings for all playable first- and third-party creations starting November 14th. All experiences published in Fortnite must have a classification assigned by IARC. Fortnite continues to evolve into a multi-game ecosystem with a diverse selection of video games and experiences created by Epic and third parties. The IARC rating system provides parents and gamers with access to reliable ratings to help them make informed decisions about what and how they play. This is a critical step toward creating a metaverse that is safe and enjoyable for everyone.
“By implementing the IARC rating system in Fortnite, Epic continues to strengthen its commitment to equipping families with tools to make informed decisions about appropriate experiences for their children.”
explained Patricia VancePresident of the ESRB and President of the IARC.
“As Fortnite evolves from its battle royale roots into a broader ecosystem that includes a variety of content from Epic and other developers, it is especially important that parents clearly understand what their children want to access.”
How does it work?
When a creator is ready to publish their island in Fortnite, they must complete an IARC content review questionnaire before submitting their island for publication and review by Epic moderators. Once the questionnaire is completed, creators receive an IARC age rating for their island’s content, as well as region-specific ratings from participating IARC rating authorities. These ratings are automatically applied and displayed prominently before access. Content sensitivities vary by region, and IARC’s global, scalable solution provides parents and players with trusted guidance from ESRB (North America), PEGI (Europe), ACB (Australia), USK (Germany), ClassInd (Brazil) and more. depending on where they live. Participating rating authorities may change one or more of the assigned ratings based on their own rating of the experience once it is published.
Fortnite experience reviews and new parental controls
Once the IARC ratings go live on November 14, parents and guardians will be able to use new options in Epic’s existing parental controls to set age limits for content based on their family’s preferences. These controls can be used to generally block islands above a certain level. Parents can use their Parental Control PIN to unblock specific islands that exceed the set rating threshold. There will also be an option to enable/disable the ability for kids to design their own games in Creative Mode.
At launch, parents will be able to set these controls in Fortnite or log in to the Epic Account portal to change their content rating settings. For information about Epic’s parental controls, visit the Epic Games Safety and Security Center.
Next steps for YouTubers
The IARC questionnaire will be available in the Creator portal from October 16th. So be sure to access it and get information to rate your islands! Unclassified islands will be removed from the list on November 14th. Be sure to complete the survey before November 14th so you don’t miss an opportunity to spend time on your island!