Stellar Blade Rated 18+ For Heavy Violence

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Abdullah Waseem

At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered. 

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Stellar Blade has been the subject of massive anticipation recently. The game has quickly climbed its way through the PlayStation top-sellers since the recent State of Play, highlighting that audiences are eagerly waiting for this release.

Focused on action and melee-based combat, this title offers plenty of blood and gore. However, the Korean rating board Game Management Committee has rated the title 18+ for excessive violence.

Why it matters: This is not entirely unexpected for a game based on combat. However, the 18+ rating suggests Stellar Blade will go the extra mile with its violence.

The rating board clearly states that ‘Youth use is not permitted’ for Stellar Blade.

On the other hand, notable rating boards like ESRB and PEGI have yet to confirm a mature rating. They are expected to follow suit soon, so it will be interesting to see if their rating aligns with the Korean rating board’s.

The Game Management Committee has outlined two major reasons for the mature rating. One is the ‘excessive violence, mutilated body, and blood,’ and the other is nudity.

The page states that there is ‘Direct explicit body exposure,’ and this is already seen from the trailer. 

The latter has been a massive point of discussion for Stellar Blade. Eve can be customized with various hairstyles and cosmetic items. The developers have also stated that they put in a lot of work, especially on the character model.

Therefore, this is a deliberate choice from Shift Up. This would mean the game is made specifically for mature audiences, which isn’t a bad thing. It highlights that the developers wanted to go all in on this approach, making no compromises on their vision.

Recently, PlayStation exclusive Rise of Ronin also got an 18+ PEGI rating. This means that Stellar Blade will be PlayStation’s second mature-rated game in a short span.

For games that are centered around combat, a mature rating suggests a no-holding-back approach, and we are looking forward to that. Stellar Blade releases on April 26, 2024, for PlayStation 5.

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.