Final Fantasy 16's ESRB Rating Proves It's The Most Mature Entry Yet

By Cade Onder

Final Fantasy 16's ESRB rating has been revealed and it seems that the game will be incredibly mature relative to other entries in the franchise. The long-running Final Fantasy series has never had a problem with taking on hefty themes or taking its stories seriously, but they have largely capped out at a T for Teen rating, making it a fairly accessible franchise for most ages. There are a couple of spin-off games that have been rated M for Mature, though they aren't overly excessive in their violence or other mature content. However, Final Fantasy 16 sounds pretty hardcore, which may come as a surprise to longtime fans.

The marketing for Final Fantasy 16 has indicated it would be a pretty mature game and the developers have noted there's intent behind that, but many were wondering just how far it would go. The ESRB rating for Final Fantasy 16 has confirmed that the game will be rated M for Mature in the United States, meaning anyone under 17 can't purchase it without a guardian present. The game was rated M for blood and gore, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language, and violence. The actual description for the rating goes more in-depth on moments from the game that led to this rating. Namely, the combat being pretty violent, cutscenes depicting throats being slit, torture via twisting a blade inside someone's shoulder, and other brutal deaths. There's also sexual moaning, prostitution, and characters with partially exposed breasts and buttocks. There is also cursing, including the words "f**k" and "s**t".

Needless to say, it sounds like Final Fantasy 16 has spared no expense to ensure it will feel different than the rest. It's also the first mainline title to receive this rating, which should help it feel very distinct. Whether or not this will actually mean anything to the quality of the game remains to be seen, but it's certainly looking like one of the best games on the horizon.

Final Fantasy 16 will release on June 22nd, 2022 for PS5. Does the game's M rating excite you or change your feelings toward it? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

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