Final Fantasy XIV will receive a higher age rating in Japan with the next patch. However, this is not due to the battles or the story, but to the photos that players take of their character.
What age rating will Final Fantasy XIV have? In an official post on the Japanese Final Fantasy 14 website, it was announced that the age rating will increase with patch 7.5. From CERO C to CERO D.
In Japan, the age rating for games uses the CERO system. CERO C recommends games for ages 15 and older, while CERO D recommends games for ages 17 and older. The website for Final Fantasy XIV states that no changes will be made to the game content. Players under 17 should consult their guardians before playing.
This increase is not due to new content coming with patch 7.5, but rather the photo mode.
They want to give players the freedom to take photos
How is the increase in the age rating justified? The blog post provides only a brief justification for the increase. According to PCGamer, the blog post states:
Currently, the classification “CERO C” requires restrictions on the “Group Pose” feature. To maintain the freedom of group posing and avoid these restrictions, we have therefore decided to change the classification to “CERO D”.
Group Pose
is the photo mode in the game that allows you to take screenshots. There you can move the camera and make your character adopt different poses to capture an image. However, it is not clear from the blog post why this would cause issues with the age rating.
Have the developers commented on the screenshots in the game? In the context of the closure of a mod, the director of the MMORPG, Naoki Yoshida, commented on potential reasons.
He also mentioned as an example that mods could be used to depict player characters and NPCs naked. This leads to problems when screenshots or videos of such are taken. Explicit legal consequences are mentioned in the context, and that guidelines for game content are becoming increasingly stringent to protect minors.
Back then, it was about the popular mod Mare Synchronos
, which allowed players to synchronize mods of multiple players to see their cosmetic modifications. Whether the change in the age rating is also related to such mods is not mentioned in the associated blog post.
What about Germany? In Germany, Final Fantasy XIV has received an age rating of from 12 years
from the USK. In contrast, the European age rating from PEGI recommends the game only from 16 years. If you have never played Final Fantasy XIV or are unsure whether you should return, this article might help: Is Final Fantasy XIV worth it in 2026?
