ESRB Give Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Mature Rating

The ESRB have revealed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has been given a Mature rating, though previous generation consoles were not mentioned.

ESRB have today posted their official ruling for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 rating the game as M for Mature. Along with the rating, they also revealed why the decision was taken.

Here is the details revealed by ESRB for Black Ops 3:

“This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a futuristic military unit attempting to thwart the plans of a cartel. Players use machine guns, pistols, shotguns, grenade launchers, and various “cybercore” abilities (e.g., drone control, confusion for human enemies) to kill robots and soldiers amid futuristic urban environments. Action is frenetic, with frequent gunfire, explosions, cries of pain, and blood-splatter effects. Some attacks allow players to blow up enemies or blow off their arms or legs. A handful of cutscenes depict figures being beaten, tortured, or stabbed; some stabbings are depicted fairly close up. During the course of the game, players can select emblems from a menu screen for character/team customization; a few emblems are suggestive of marijuana. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” appear in the dialogue.”

While the violence mentioned and swearing is expected for a game like this, the more interesting details are the “cybercore” abilities that will be in the game. It is also interesting that this rating is only for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of the game. This maybe because the rating includes campaign mode which is not included in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.

With the campaign mode not being included in the previous generation consoles, will they get a different rating? If so it will be interesting to see if it is lowered or remains the same.

Is the fact that Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has an mature rating a surprise? Why do you think the previous consoles weren’t included in the platforms? Let us know your thoughts below.

Paul is a fan of single player games, but lately has pushed himself into online gameplay. Often found taking the stealthy approach of hiding behind trees in H1Z1 Battle Royal sessions, he also plays Grand ...