Fortnite will introduce mandatory map age ratings next month

The landscape of Fortnite is changing. Personally, I’m a player who predominantly sticks to enjoying the battle royale mode. After all, that’s likely what springs to mind when you think of Fortnite - and yet, it’s no longer the game’s most popular mode.

Back in 2018, Creative mode was launched, allowing users to - you guessed it - create their own maps and minigames. It wasn’t exactly popular enough to knock the classic battle royale mode off the top spot, but that all changed when the revamped Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) landed earlier this year. This updated take on Creative offers far more possibilities. You’ve likely heard of recent fan-made efforts OnlyUp Fortnite and The Fortnite Survival Games, both of which are drawing in thousands of players. With UEFN maps now drawing in more players than classic modes, Epic Games has outlined exactly how they’re going to crack down on age moderation.

As we all know, Fortnite has a rating of PEGI 12, but that doesn’t stop younger players from sneaking on to the game. Chat moderation has been a popular topic in the games industry for quite some time, but Epic is turning its attention to the moderation of its vastly popular UEFN created maps. As reported by Eurogamer, it’s now outlined that starting next month, in November, all content will be receiving an individual age rating.

This new system will begin rolling out on 14 November, with Epic saying that it’ll allow their “multi-game ecosystem” to continue to grow. The ratings will utilise the International Age Rating Coalition’s (IARC) process. Creators will submit a questionnaire and the IARC will issue region-specific ratings.

"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. "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."

Parents will be able to lock maps with a certain age rating, prohibiting underage users from accessing UEFN created content that they currently will likely have unlimited access to.