Changes to age ratingFortnite introduces games from the age of 16

Fortnite is the perennial favorite among online games. Around eight years after its release, Fortnite is still one of the most popular games for children. The following change is particularly important for parents and guardians: Fortnite now also allows content with an age rating of 16 and above. We answer the most important questions for parents: What exactly is the content in question? Why is Fortnite still rated from the age of 12? And what options do parents have to protect their children?

Fortnite introduces games from the age of 16

What is Fortnite?

The online game Fortnite is available for all popular game consoles, for the PC and for smartphones and tablets. The game is divided into different game modes. The best known is the Battle Royale mode. In this mode, 100 players compete against each other on an island. They fight until there is only one person left at the end, who then wins the game. There are also many other game modes, some of which we presented in our article "Is Fortnite safe for children?".

Fortnite also offers a creative mode. In this, players can create their own "islands". They can build and customize buildings, structures and environments according to their ideas. This user-generated content can then be published and made available to all Fortnite players. There is now an almost inexhaustible number of these islands to try out. They offer a wide variety of game content, from racing games and skill games to shooters and role-playing games.

What content is 16+?

The change to allow content from the age of 16 relates to the creative mode. Previously, it was only possible to create and publish islands that were only approved for players aged 12 and over. Fortnite now also allows islands that contain elements of horror and violence, for example, and are therefore approved for ages 16 and up. Fortnite specifies which content is permitted and which is prohibited in its "Rules for Fortnite Island Creators".

The age ratings for the user-generated islands are determined by a questionnaire. All persons who wish to publish a self-built island on Fortnite must first fill out this questionnaire. The questionnaire asks, for example, whether the game contains violence or not. Based on the information in the questionnaire, a rating of 0, 6, 12 or 16 is automatically assigned. Of course, the ratings can also be checked and adjusted at a later date if there are any doubts about their accuracy.

Why is Fortnite still rated from the age of 12?

The official age rating of the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) for Fortnite in Germany is 12 years. And it is still in place, even though content in creative mode is now also available for players aged 16 and over. How can that be?

The 12+ rating can remain in place if three conditions are met:

  1. The 16+ content must only make up a small part of the overall offering.
  2. The 16+ content may only be used by a small proportion of players.
  3. The Ab-16 content must not be placed in the foreground of the service.
  4. The platform must offer technical protection measures to prevent younger children from accessing 16+ content.

To ensure that the 16+ content only makes up a small proportion of the overall offering and is only used by a small proportion of players, the operator of Fortnite regularly submits the current figures to the USK. The USK also regularly checks the platform to see whether content over the age of 16 is displayed disproportionately often. This would mean that this content is excessively present, even if it only makes up a small proportion of the overall content. Raising the age rating to 16 would be the result.

How can parents protect their children?

It has now become even more important for parents to set their child's account correctly and thus ensure that their child can only access suitable content. You can find out how to set up your child's account correctly at www.medien-kindersicher.de.

If you have already set up your child's account correctly, you do not need to do anything else. For all accounts whose owners are not yet 16 years old, the 16+ content will be displayed, but it will not be selectable and cannot be played. If parents feel that a 16+ game content is suitable for their child despite the age rating, they can unlock individual islands for their younger children. In this case, only the unlocked island can be used by the child and all other 16+ content remains inaccessible.

Parents should definitely bear in mind that content created by users is always characterized by problematic content. Even if they appear to have appropriate age ratings. In a brief search, we easily found at least questionable content on the Fortnite platform in all age categories. It is therefore essential that children are accompanied even if the parental control functions are set correctly.

Screenshot of the Fortnite website on which the game "Love Button - Meet With Strangers RP" is offered. The game is illustrated with stylized figures and pink hearts. You can also see the age rating "0+" and the additional information that the game contains chats.
This 0+ game is advertised as a dating tool for finding a partner. According to the description, chat contacts are possible in public or private areas. | Source: fortnite.com; 17.03.2025.
Screenshot of the Fortnite website on which the game "Casino Gold" is offered. The game is illustrated with slot machines and the word "Casino". You can also see the age rating "from 6 years" and the additional note that the game contains comic violence and chats.
Some of the games on offer at Fortnite have a gambling theme. These include games that are approved for ages 0 or 6. | Source: fortnite.com; 17.03.2025.
Screenshot of the Fortnite website where the game "Fortmegle - Talk to Strangers RP" is offered. The game is illustrated with a man and a woman who appear to be chatting with each other. Red and pink hearts imply that they are in love. You can also see the age rating "from 12 years" and the additional note that the game contains chats.
This 12+ game promises chat contacts with strangers. The name is a reference to the platform Omegle, which has since been shut down and where children were repeatedly sexually assaulted. | Source: fortnite.com; 17.03.2025.
Screenshot of the Fortnite website on which the game "Terrifier | Horror First Person" is offered. The game is illustrated with the lettering of the horror film series Terrifier and the well-known character of the horror clown. However, his face is only vaguely recognizable. You can also see the age rating "12+" and the additional note that the game contains a dark atmosphere.
Many games in Fortnite explicitly refer to well-known horror films that are not suitable for children. In this 12+ game, for example, the movie series "Terrifier", which is known for its extreme depiction of violence. | Source: fortnite.com; 17.03.2025.