ESRB not impacted by the coronavirus, no delays in assigning game ratings
Before a game can officially release, it needs to be classified with the proper rating. In North America, all titles needs to go through the ESRB.
Fortunately, despite what has been taking place with the coronavirus in recent times, the ESRB has not been impacted. A spokesperson told IGN that the organization is operating remotely and has “seen no delay in assigning ratings.”
The full statement reads:
“Thanks to a good deal of advance planning, since March 16 ESRB has been operating remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We have seen no delay in assigning ratings. We will continue to assign ratings remotely for as long as required.”
While the ESRB hasn’t been affected by the coronavirus, the same can’t be said of the Japanese ratings agency CERO. The organization will be shutting down until at least May 6 as its ratings process requires reviewers visiting the office. No new games can be rated until a country-wide lockdown is lifted. Games launching in the near-term such as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition were already rated by CERO, and will be able to release as scheduled.
