Why UFC 5 Is Rated M for Mature

EA Sports UFC 5 will be the first entry in the series to be rated M for Mature, which is a pretty significant change. EA is known for being a pretty diverse publisher with its incredible variety of sports games, Star Wars titles, shooters, and smaller-scale original titles like It Takes Two. The publisher has something for almost everyone, but its sports games have always been some of the biggest sellers given their wide appeal. Many of them are also easy buys for people looking for gifts because of the accessible ratings. 

Historically, EA Sports titles are E – E10+ with the UFC games getting T ratings for their blood. However, things are changing this year. It has been three years since the last UFC game and in that time, a new set of consoles has been released. Technology has evolved quite a bit, the standards from players has grown, and EA is very aware of this.

Why Is UFC 5 Rated M?

With that said, there's a higher degree of detail in UFC 5 with the intent of offering a more realistic combat sports experience. UFC 5 will be rated M for Mature this time around as a result of EA's efforts to push things further. The game will feature more realistic depictions of damage and allow for players to really feel the sense of brutality from the game's violence. Blood will also reportedly pool up around the octagon, giving players a chance to really see and feel the effects of their punches and kicks.

Of course, with it being M for Mature, the game won't be able to be sold to anyone under the age of 17 without a parent or guardian. This may limit some people from being able to buy the game and hurt sales, but it does show EA's commitment to authenticity in the game. The publisher has been criticized over the years for prioritizing money over the player experience, but at least in one area, that may not be the case with UFC 5. It's rare to see an M-rated sports game, especially from a publisher like EA, and it'll be interesting to see if this continues in future entries.

EA Sports UFC 5 Is Not the First M-Rated EA Sports Game

Before UFC's meteoric rise in the combat sports scene, EA had another fighting game series: Fight Night. The series focused on boxing and allowed players to immerse themselves in that world. The last Fight Night game that was ever made, Fight Night Champion, scored an M-rating as well, though it may have been more intentional than UFC 5's. Fight Night Champion was the first EA Sports game to feature a full-fledged story mode and it was quite dark. The game largely took place in a prison and featured strong language, relatively graphic violence, and quite literally pulled no punches. Although Champion was well-received by critics, EA didn't continue the series and instead moved on to UFC a few years later after THQ lost the rights to the sport in its bankruptcy.