YouTube is cracking down on mature content in video games by updating its policies, the company revealed on Tuesday. Effective November 17, more videos featuring “graphic violence” will be age-restricted. This means viewers under 18 or those not signed into their accounts won’t be able to access content depicting “realistic human characters” engaged in “mass violence against non-combatants” or torture. These new rules also extend to online gambling, regardless of whether real money is exchanged.
Explaining the changes, YouTube stated its commitment to evolving policies with the digital landscape. The platform aims to stay current with new trends, such as gambling involving digital items, and to align its content guidelines more closely with broader industry standards for mature content.
These updated policies clarify regulations across three key areas: online gambling, social casino games, and intensely violent gaming content. YouTube will now broaden its stance on gambling-related content, age-restricting videos that feature digital goods with real-world value—like in-game skins, cosmetics, and NFTs—if they are tied to gambling platforms or apps not officially certified by Google.
To better protect younger viewers, content that promotes or showcases social casino games, even those not involving real money, will also be age-restricted. This follows an earlier measure in March when YouTube prohibited creators from verbally endorsing or displaying unapproved online gambling services.
Furthermore, videos containing realistic portrayals of human violence, including torture or widespread harm to non-combatants, could face new limitations. These restrictions apply if violent scenes are extended, zoomed-in, or form the primary focus of the video. The company has yet to provide specific examples, leaving content creators to wonder if this includes exaggerated violence like in Mortal Kombat or more realistic combat seen in games such as Call of Duty.
Prior to these changes, YouTube’s policy generally allowed dramatized violence in fictional content, like animated shows or video games, as long as it was clearly indicated as such through content or metadata.
YouTube anticipates that most creators will experience minimal impact but strongly advises proactive compliance before the policy is fully implemented. Videos already uploaded that violate the new guidelines might be removed or age-restricted without incurring a strike, providing creators an opportunity to modify their content using YouTube’s integrated editing tools. Creators will receive email notifications for any video restrictions or removals and will retain the right to appeal these decisions.