The ESRB gives Final Fantasy XVI an M rating; highlights of the rating summary.

Final Fantasy XVI, the next role-playing game developed by Square Enix, was given a Mature classification in Brazil, which informed us earlier this month that the game will have a far more sinister tone than prior installments in the series. The official website of the ESRB confirmed that the same thing occurred in the United States.

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has given Final Fantasy XVI a Mature classification because the game contains gory features like blood splatter effects and torture scenes.

The player experiences the game from a third-person perspective and navigates a fantasy realm while completing various objectives and engaging in combat with mythical monsters and hostile human warriors (e.g., trolls and orcs). In close-quarters combat (melee), players kill other characters with swords and magical assaults (such as fireballs and lightning strikes, for example).

During the battle phases, players can conduct cinematic assaults and finishing techniques by following the prompts on-screen. The action in the battles moves quickly and is accompanied by loud explosions, screams of agony, and noises of impact. When characters are stabbed or murdered, blood-splatter effects happen regularly.

A sword severs a character’s hands; a dagger slices a guard’s throat; a character is impaled through the chest; a prisoner’s shoulder is stabbed and twisted by an interrogator’s blade. These are some of the other acts of violence and blood that are depicted in cutscenes.

According to the rest of the rating statement published on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board website, Final Fantasy XVI was given a Mature classification owing to the presence of a variety of sexual aspects, including partial nudity, brothels, and more.

There is explicit sexual content in this video game, including a character fondling and straddling another character in bed, references to prostitution in the form of sexual moaning sounds in a brothel, and lines of dialogue such as “I’d be happy to show you…provided that I can afford it” and “…thank you for your service.” My room is just a few steps up here.” Some of the characters are represented with their breasts and buttocks exposed to varying degrees. The phrases “f*k” and “sht” are occasionally said by players while playing the game.

Not just in terms of its thematic content but also in terms of its presentation, Final Fantasy XVI aims to represent a watershed moment for the series. The producer, Naoki Yoshida, has stated that the game would demonstrate the capabilities of the PlayStation 5. Additionally, he verified that the most recent teaser was shot entirely in real-time.

The launch date for Final Fantasy XVI on the PlayStation 5 is June 22nd, 2023. The game is said to have an exclusive run on the PlayStation 5 for six months; nevertheless, it is expected to become available on other platforms at some time in the future. According to Microsoft, however, Xbox consoles may not be among those platforms.