ESRB Teen

Teen (T) is an ESRB rating that suggests a video game is suitable for ages 13 and up. In Canada, it is the highest ESRB rating that has no legislative basis. According to the ESRB, a T-rated video game "may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language."

The T rating can also signal that a game or service has content targeted to many different age groups.

Video games with this rating before 2021 are now rated B15 in Mexico.

French name: Adolescents
Spanish name: Adolescentes

Factors[]

The following is just an approximate. The ratings are based off of numerous factors, such as extent, context, frequency, art style and player control.

These factors apply to officially-rated games, as IARC-rated games can contain content that's not mentioned in the rating descriptors. Post-launch material usually doesn't count for the factors, but some games, like Fortnite, get or have gotten consistent rating changes based off the content added and removed from the game.

Note: Having "Diverse Content: Discretion Advised" as the content descriptor is the only possible way to have Mature 17+-exclusive content not relating to profanity.

Violence[]

T-rated games may contain:

Moderate to intense strong (fantasy) violence, ranging from cartoony to realistic ([Fantasy] Violence)
Violence that contains undetailed dismemberment ([Fantasy] Violence)
Moderate violence with realistic weaponry ([Mild] Violence)
Implied intense violence (Mild Violence)
Violent references or moderate references to sexual violence (Violent References)
Dark thematic elements (Mild Violence/Fantasy Violence)
Minimal or infrequent torture sequences with mild to semi-moderate violence or lacking on-screen violence (Violence)

Violence with gratuitous amounts of (red) blood and/or gore or large and realistic amounts of gore or strong violence will usually result in a Mature 17+ rating.

Blood/Gore[]

T-rated games may contain:

Mild to moderate blood ([Mild] Blood)
Discolored blood (Animated Blood)
Mild to moderate (unrealistic) gore (Blood and Gore)

Gratuitous amounts of (red) blood and/or gore or large and realistic amounts of gore will usually result in a Mature 17+ rating.

Sexuality[]

T-rated games may contain:

Suggestive/sexual innuendos and references or moderate sexual language ([Mild] Suggestive Themes/[Mild] Sexual Themes/[Mild] Lyrics/Strong Lyrics)
Off-screen, implied, or heavily obscured sexual activity (Suggestive Themes/Sexual Themes/Sexual Content)
Revealing or suggestive outfits that reveal some to a lot of skin ([Mild] Suggestive Themes)
Emphasis on anatomical features, like breasts or buttocks ([Mild] Suggestive Themes)
Fanservice or suggestive/mildly sexual depictions of characters ([Mild] Suggestive Themes/[Mild] Sexual Themes)
Depictions of sex toys in a non-sexual context (Suggestive Themes/Sexual Themes)
Discreet or implied sexual violence (Sexual Themes/Sexual Content)

Sexual content/themes cannot be fully interactive (e.g., touching female characters' bodies suggestively to warrant reactions or rewards), or the game will get a higher rating. Overly phallic depictions will also get a higher rating.

Nudity[]

T-rated games may contain:

Undetailed nudity (Suggestive Themes/Partial Nudity)
Infrequent or mild depictions of topless nudity (Partial Nudity)
Partially censored nudity (Partial Nudity)

Realistic, prolonged, uncensored, rewarded or heavily sexualized depictions of nudity will get a higher rating.

Language[]

T-rated games may contain:

Moderately strong profanity, such as "sh*t", "a*shole", "d*ck", "c*ck", "p*ssy", and "tw*t" (Language/[Strong] Lyrics)
Other moderate language, such as "pr*ck" (Mild Language/Mild Lyrics)
Derogatory language (e.g., "n****", "f*****") (Language/Lyrics)
Other derogatory language (e.g. "whore", "harlot", "hooker", "ho") ([Mild] Suggestive Themes/[Mild] Lyrics)
Crude gestures (e.g., the "middle finger" gesture) (Language)
Partially heard or censored strong profanity (e.g., "What the fuuuu-") ([Mild] Language)
Truncated or direct references to strong profanity language (e.g., "I got so many girls I still gotta eff") ([Mild] Language)
In extremely rare cases, strong language such as the word "f**k" if infrequent, discreet and justified by context, as in the cases of One Last Breath, Scrabble Tour, and Dance Paradise; otherwise, normally if it's used in a game, it will be rated M17+. ([Strong] Language)

Stronger profanity will, for the most part, warrant a M17+ rating.

Substances[]

T-rated games may contain:

Alcohol and tobacco references (Alcohol/Tobacco Reference/Mild Lyrics)
Uses of alcohol and tobacco (Use of Alcohol/Tobacco)
References to or depictions of intoxication (Alcohol Reference/Use of Alcohol/[Mild] Lyrics)
Drug references (Drug Reference/[Mild] Lyrics)
Mild to moderate uses of illegal drugs (Use of Drugs)

Graphic uses of illegal drugs, interactive illegal drugs distribution, consumption, persistent depictions of underage drinking, or prominent preparation or use will warrant a M17+ rating.

Gambling[]

T-rated games may contain:

Simulated gambling or references to gambling (Simulated Gambling/Gambling Themes)
Loot boxes or other systems with real monetary value (In-Game Purchases [Includes Random Items])

Fully realized gambling will get a higher rating.

Humor[]

T-rated games may contain:

(Strong) crude humor or depictions of excrement, flatulence, vomiting, and or bodily waste and/or fluids (Crude Humor)

Stronger or graphic crude humor (e.g. crude drawings or other sexually crude depictions of characters) will get a higher rating.

Escalation scale[]

Violence - (E) Mild Fantasy Violence/Violent References → (E10+) Fantasy Violence/Mild Violence/Violent References → (T) Violence → (M17+) Intense Violence

Blood - (E/E10+) Mild Blood/Animated Blood → (T) Blood (and Gore) → (M17+) Blood and Gore

Sexuality - (E) Mild Suggestive Themes → (E10+) (Mild) Suggestive Themes → (T) Suggestive Themes/(Mild) Sexual Themes/Sexual Content → (M17+) (Strong) Sexual Content

Nudity - (T) Partial Nudity → (M17+) Nudity

Language - (E) Mild Language/Mild Lyrics → (E10+/T) Language/Lyrics → (M17+) Strong Language/Strong Lyrics

Substances - (E) Alcohol/Tobacco Reference/Use of Alcohol (and Tobacco) → (E10+) Use of Alcohol (and Tobacco)/Drug Reference → (T) Use of Drugs (and Alcohol)/Drug Reference → (M17+) Use of Drugs

Humor - (E) Comic Mischief/Crude Humor → (E10+/T) Crude Humor → (M17+) Mature Humor

Examples of notable T-rated video games[]

Fortnite (Diverse Content: Discretion Advised)
- Launched in 2017, Fortnite is an online video game that features a variety of game modes that can be played within the game. The original line-up of games were Save The World and Battle Royale. While Save The World is a single-player survival third-person shooter strategy game, Battle Royale, the most popular mode, is a multiplayer sandbox third-person shooter strategy game popular with teens and children alike. Before 2023, there was some dispute whether Fortnite deserves a T or E10+ rating due to the cartoony art style of the game, but it obtained a T rating due to the frequency of violence and its depictions of realistic gunfire. Before the Kill Bill event, Epic Games would utilize the T rating for Save The World more than the rest of the game, as Save The World contained adult content, such as swearing and adult humor, whilst the rest of the game would remove or censor nearly any instance of adult content other than the violence (except for some rare instances of mild profanity being left intact) due to its popularity amongst young players. In 2023, Fortnite would add new game modes into the game that have their own ESRB ratings. and an age-rating system tie-in utilizing the same ratings, causing the content descriptor for the main Fortnite game to be changed from "Violence" to "Diverse Content: Discretion Advised". Amongst these game modes is Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game developed by Harmonix, inspired by one of their game franchises, Rock Band. Fortnite Festival was remarkable for its amount of sexual content, drug/alcohol references, and profanity present/uncensored in the lyrics that would normally get omitted in other Fortnite modes, even with most songs being clean versions. What is and is not allowed to be uncensored is very inconsistent, as, depending on the version Harmonix is given, some adult content and profanity that is normally censored is intact in some songs (e.g. "sh*t" and/or "b*tch" being uncensored in songs like Moves Like Jagger, So What, emo girl, and What's My Age Again?, and "whore" being uncensored in Basket Case). The songs can be performed in the main Battle Royale game mode whether solo or with other players, and other T-rated games/game modes in Fortnite. In November 2025, Fortnite released an animated short to tie in with the Kill Bill event which contained 8 separate instances of profanity (3 uses of "b*tch", 2 censored uses of "f**king, 1 use of "a*shole", 1 use of "p*ss" and 1 use of "goddamn") which surprised many players, considering that Fortnite characters themselves have not used profanity since Save The World in 2017, and Epic Games usually maintained a family-friendly image aside from Jam Tracks. Since then, across all official game-modes, Fortnite has gotten content descriptors for Violence, Lyrics, Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes, Drug Reference, Language, and Crude Humor.
Super Smash Bros. Melee (Comic Mischief, Mild Violence)
- Super Smash Bros. Melee is a fighting game with platforming elements featuring various Nintendo characters released in 2001, and is widely considered to be the least violent T-rated video game of all time because of its cartoony art style and unrealistic violence. It was rated Teen due to suggestive humor being present in the game. One note in mind is that the E10+ rating did not exist at the time of the game's release. Its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, also received a T rating despite the E10+ rating existing when it was released.
Guns, Gore and Cannoli (Violence, Blood and Gore, Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco)
- Guns, Gore and Cannoli is a 2015 2D platformer that received criticism due to its gratuitous gore. It normally would have warranted an Mature 17+ rating, but due to the stylized nature of the game, the ESRB gave it a T rating.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence)
- The first-T rated video game in the series, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a fighting game that was controversial due to how violent it was. During development two fatalities had to be censored to achieve the T rating (an animation where the Joker shoots the opponent in the head was changed to depict the fatality off-screen and an animation where Kitana would throw blades at the enemy's head was changed to depict them throwing blades at the torso). It is regarded as one of the most violent T-rated video games of all time.
Final Fantasy VII [1997 original] (Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes)
- Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 3D role-playing game in the Final Fantasy series that is notorious for its mature content that some have debated should have warranted it an M rating. This mature content includes bloodstained environments, implied sexual activity, and violent cutscenes.
Roblox (Diverse Content: Discretion Advised)
- Roblox is a popular online platform that has been running since 2006. Formerly rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence, the game allows users to create their own "experiences" (games). In June 2023, 17+ experiences were added. However, to access them, a user is required to go through a certain series of steps. Most experiences on the platform can be considered Teen, even though most experiences are either 9+ or for everyone, but they can contain blood and/or gore and/or moderate violence, despite the ratings. There are Roblox experiences that are rated 13+ however, which may make the T rating more understandable. However, some 13+-rated games such as Combat Warriors could be considered to skew closer to the M rating.
Most of the Fire Emblem games (Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence)
- One of Nintendo's most popular franchises made for older fans, the Fire Emblem franchise is known for its medieval theme where the main protagonist (varies by game) appears in conflict with other fictional countries. Since it contains more violence and mild blood, it is generally not suitable for younger players, and distances itself from other Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario, Pokémon, and Donkey Kong.

Equivalents[]

MPAA's PG-13 rating
TV Parental Guidelines' TV-14 rating
MTRCB's R-13 and soft SPG ratings
PEGI's 12 rating
BBFC's 12 rating
ACB's M rating
CERO's hard B and soft C ratings
Netflix's 13+ rating
FSK's and USK's 12 rating
Roblox's Moderate rating
Manga's T rating and soft OT rating

Trivia[]

Most live-service games target this rating due to its high, unrestricted accessibility and creative freedom.
Surprisingly, despite the clear lack of interactive, simulated gambling, 80 Days & Overboard!, rated 18 by PEGI for gambling, had been rated T by the ESRB and 6 by the USK.
Some games that are rated 16 by PEGI (e.g. Destroy All Humans!, this aforementioned game was rated PEGI 16 for sustained depictions of violence to human-like characters) had been rated T by the ESRB.

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
Current ratings Discontinued rating

ESRB Teen

Contents

Factors[]

Violence[]

Blood/Gore[]

Sexuality[]

Nudity[]

Language[]

Substances[]

Gambling[]

Humor[]

Escalation scale[]

Examples of notable T-rated video games[]

Other video games that were rated T[]

Equivalents[]

Trivia[]