If you’ve been scrolling through looter shooter recommendations lately, you’ve probably seen The First Descendant pop up more than once. It’s a flashy, free-to-play live service game with cross-platform play, tons of customizable characters, and endless co-op missions to grind through. But a lot of new players and concerned parents have been asking one question before they dive in: is the first descendant rated m. I’ve spent over 120 hours playing the game across PC and console, and I’ve walked through every bit of story and side content with my 14-year-old cousin, so I can break down exactly what you need to know about its content and rating.
Is The First Descendant Rated M? Breaking Down the Official ESRB Rating
The short answer is no, at least not according to the official ESRB rating for North American audiences. The ESRB has given The First Descendant a T for Teen rating, meaning it’s deemed suitable for players aged 13 and up. The rating summary cites violence, mild blood, suggestive themes, and use of strong language as the main reasons for the T designation. But that hasn’t stopped a lot of players from assuming it’s M-rated, and for good reason.
If you’re playing in Europe or other regions that use PEGI ratings, the story is a little different. PEGI has rated The First Descendant a 16, meaning it’s not recommended for players under 16 years old. That rating is much closer to the ESRB’s M (Mature 17+) designation, which explains why so many international players search for confirmation of an M rating. The discrepancy between ESRB and PEGI ratings is the biggest reason for all the confusion around the game’s age suitability.
It’s also worth noting that some store pages may list unrated versions of the game for pre-release testing, but the public launch version across all platforms has the official T/16 rating. You don’t have to worry about accidentally downloading an unrated, more explicit version of the game unless you’re opting into closed test builds that explicitly warn of unrated content.
What Content Makes Players Think The First Descendant Is M-Rated
Even with the official T rating, it’s easy to see why so many people assume the game is M-rated once you start playing. The combat is fast-paced, high-impact, and doesn’t shy away from showing clear consequences of fights. I was actually surprised by some of the content when I first played, because most free-to-play looter shooters lean more into a cartoonish, family-friendly vibe to draw in the biggest possible audience.
There are a few specific content areas that lead to most of the M rating assumptions:
- Graphic sci-fi combat with visible blood effects for both human NPCs and alien enemies, including noticeable dismemberment for larger boss characters
- Occasional use of strong language in main story cutscenes and random character voice lines during combat, including s-words and a-words used in high-stakes moments
- Suggestive cosmetic skins for playable characters available in the in-game store, with some designs showing more skin than you’d typically see in a T-rated game
- Dark, tense horror-inspired settings during late-game story missions, with jump scares and grotesque enemy designs that can feel overwhelming for younger players
None of these elements cross the line enough for the ESRB to bump the rating up to M, but they’re definitely more mature than what you’ll find in comparable games like Fortnite or Roblox. If you’re a parent who’s only ever let your kid play those more family-friendly titles, The First Descendant will feel a lot more intense by comparison, even if it’s technically still rated T.
It’s also worth noting that a lot of the more suggestive cosmetic skins are optional purchases. You won’t see them in default character designs, so if you don’t spend money on the in-game store, you might not even encounter that content at all during regular play.
Age Suitability: Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Play The First Descendant
Just because the game is rated T for 13 and up doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for every 13-year-old. Every kid has different tolerance for violent or scary content, and it’s up to parents to decide what’s appropriate for their family. That said, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make the call easier.
For players between 13 and 16 years old, the game is totally playable with a few small setting adjustments. You can turn off blood effects completely in the settings menu, disable player-to-player voice chat to avoid exposure to unmoderated language from other players, and even turn off cosmetic previews in the store to avoid seeing suggestive skin designs. I used these settings when I played with my 14-year-old cousin, and he had a great time without encountering any content that felt inappropriate for his age.
If you’re an adult player who usually prefers M-rated shooters and is worried The First Descendant will feel too childish, you don’t have to stress. The core combat is just as intense as any M-rated looter shooter, and the story has some genuinely dark, mature moments that don’t feel watered down for a younger audience. You won’t feel like you’re playing a kids’ game, even with the T rating.
Who should skip the game? If you’re highly sensitive to blood and gore, or you hate horror-inspired settings, this probably isn’t the game for you. The late-game missions get really dark, and you can’t turn off the enemy designs or jump scares completely. It’s also not a great pick if you’re looking for a game to play with young kids under 13, even with adjusted settings. The core combat is still violent by design, and there’s no way to remove that entirely.
Can The First Descendant’s Rating Change to M in Future Updates?
Since The First Descendant is a live service game that gets regular content updates every few months, a lot of players worry the rating could be bumped up to M down the line. It’s a valid concern, since many live service games have added more mature content after launch that changed their original ratings.
So far, Nexon has been very transparent about the content they add to the game. Every major story update is submitted to rating boards like the ESRB and PEGI for review before launch, and the team warns players well in advance if any new content will include more mature themes. There haven’t been any announcements of upcoming content that would push the rating to M as of now, but that could always change in the future.
If you’re a parent who’s worried about unexpected content updates, you can turn on automatic content filters in your console or PC settings to block any new content that exceeds the original T rating. You can also follow the official The First Descendant social media accounts to get advance notice of any major content drops that might include more mature material.
Even if the rating does get bumped up to M eventually, the existing setting controls will still let you turn off most of the more explicit content if you want to keep playing. The devs have stated multiple times that they want to keep the game accessible to as many players as possible, so customizable content filters will always be a core feature of the game.
At the end of the day, the question of is the first descendant rated m comes down to what region you’re playing in and what content you’re used to. It’s officially T-rated in North America and 16 in most other regions, but it has enough mature content that it feels closer to an M-rated game than many other T-rated titles on the market. Taking a few minutes to review the content and adjust your settings before you play will help you make sure you have the best possible experience, no matter your age or content preferences. If you’re still unsure, you can always watch a few minutes of unedited gameplay online to see exactly what the game looks like before you download it for yourself or your kid.