Japan Raises Final Fantasy 14 Age Rating

1 week ago 7

Published Mar 25, 2026, 9:41 AM EDT

Scott Baird is a contributor with over a decade's experience writing about video games, along with board games and tabletop RPGs. Scott has previously worked for Dexerto, Cracked, Dorkly, and Gamepur.

Final Fantasy 14's age rating has been increased in Japan, and Square Enix has been candid about the reason, hinting that fan behavior may be the cause.

Final Fantasy 14 is currently rated T by the ESRB and 16 by PEGI. The game has its fair share of violence, suggestive content, and references to some incredibly dark subject matter, especially those referring to war.

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In a surprise announcement, the developers of Final Fantasy 14 have confirmed that the game's age rating has increased in Japan. According to Famitsu, the age rating has increased from CERO C to CERO D, going from 15 and up to 17 and up.

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The increase in ratings has been attributed to the Gpose/Group Pose feature, as the alternative would have required removing it from the game. No other changes are being made to the content of Final Fantasy 14, despite the age rating.

This means the rating increase is likely due to players taking provocative photos using Gpose, especially since the game has no shortage of skimpy outfits.

The reason for the ratings increase has been attributed to the Gpose/Group Pose feature, as the alternative would have required removing it from the game.

It's surprising that the age rating increase is happening now, as Final Fantasy 14 has been around in its current form since 2013. It's well known that there are Final Fantasy 14 servers/groups filled with people who use the game for adult roleplaying, yet it's taken this long for any age-rating increase.

It's unlikely that the story of Final Fantasy 14 will become more adult through the freedom of this higher rating, especially as it's currently unchanged in different regions. The tale of Eorzea will remain high fantasy with a bit of an edge, rather than going into the deep end of adult content.