Valorant consciously refrains from exaggerated depictions of violence. How does this affect the age rating by FSK or USK? Find out here at what age you can play Valorant.
FSK or USK, what is the difference? The terms FSK and USK are often used synonymously, but they are two different things:
- FSK stands for Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry. It is a classification of films.
- USK, on the other hand, stands for Entertainment Software Self-Regulation. Therefore, it is responsible for computer games.
For Valorant as a computer game, there is consequently no FSK classification, but a USK classification.
The USK rating of Valorant is 16+, despite minimal depictions of violence. Therefore, it exceeds the ’12+’ rating of Fortnite.
Also at PEGI, the ‘Pan European Game Information’ label, the age rating is 16+. In the USA, ESRB is responsible, which issues the T rating for ‘Teen’ for Valorant.
Fortnite and Valorant are both toned-down shooters, but Fortnite is rated 12, even though the violence in both games is approximately equally minimal. However, unlike Fortnite, where you always observe your character from behind, Valorant is a so-called ‘First-Person Shooter’, which means it is played from a ‘first-person perspective’. You aim directly at enemies and experience the events up close. From a first-person perspective, a game is considered more immersive according to USK, the player is closer to the action, and eliminating enemies is perceived more intensely. Therefore, first-person shooters are usually rated 18 or, for less intense depictions of violence, 16 by USK.
The Reasons for Valorant’s Graphics
Shooters are often notorious for their excessive depictions of violence. Games like Doom Eternal or Wolfenstein even advertise the ability to brutally dismember enemies. Therefore, many parents are concerned when their children want to play such a “shooter game”.
The new team shooter Valorant is no exception. Like the 12+ rated Fortnite, Valorant refrains from excessive depictions of violence. There are some smaller blood effects, but even those can still be disabled.
That’s why Valorant is ideal for Asia: In addition, the spartan, colorful graphics are well-suited for the still PC-oriented Asian market. There, games like Crossfire are popular because they do not require high-end hardware and can run on many PCs without powerful hardware.
This also applies to the popular PC bangs in Asia, i.e. cafes where you can play on PCs. Games like Valorant also run on older devices.
Are you still looking for more current information about Valorant? Then check out our large game hub for Valorant. There you will find everything about beta access, Twitch drops, weapons, agents, and current news and issues related to Riot Games’ new 5v5 team shooter.
