The Epic Games Store will allow blockchain games rated Adults-Only back on the PC marketplace after a new exception to its content policy.
While blockchain games as a whole have been allowed on the Epic Games Store for a while now, a number of games built around the controversial tech’s use in concepts such as NFTs have been caught in a separate EGS restriction on games rated Adults-Only by the US Entertainment Software Rating Board. While the rating is normally used to flag games with extreme violence or sexual content, it has also been handed to games because of their use of blockchain tech. (Thanks, The Verge.)
Epic’s updated Content Guidelines specify that the Adults-Only ban will only be circumvented for games that were given the AO rating due to their use of blockchain or NFT tech, meaning that games that still have other content rated as Adults-Only will not be listed. Other bans on games that contain real-life gambling (defined as allowing players to cash out for real money based on luck), pornography, illegal content and “hateful or abusive content” will remain in place for all games, too.
Epic have a separate set of guidelines for games that include blockchain tech, cryptocurrency and/or NFTs, stopping games from being boosted with paid offers, linking directly to crypto marketplaces and needing to be explicitly flagged as using the tech.
📣 Heads up: Gods Unchained and Striker Manager 3 have returned to the Store after a change in our content policy regarding ratings for blockchain-based games. Learn more: https://t.co/RQGGzWGeG8
— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) December 19, 2023
The first two games to return to the store following the policy change are Gods Unchained and Striker Manager 3, a blockchain-based digital trading card game and football manager game respectively.
Epic’s more accepting stance towards blockchain tech – as highlighted by this latest move – stands in stark contrast to that of their main rival Steam, who in 2021 banned all games that are built on the blockchain, have some kind of real cryptocurrency and/or offer NFTs.
