Updated Mar 17, 2026 by CESA – Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association
The CERO 'Z' advertising guidelines, effective since April 1, 2008, and revised on June 20, 2012, mandate that all promotional materials for 18+ home-console games must exclude restricted content and clearly display the 'Z' age-rating icon.
Advertisers must include a mandatory disclaimer on all materials stating that the product is not sold to persons under 18 and that the game contains adult-rated content.
Public events featuring 'Z' rated demos must isolate the content from public view and enforce mandatory age verification for all participants and demo distributions.
Online platforms must implement age-gating on official game homepages, require age verification for e-commerce purchases, and provide links to the official CERO rating page.
Print advertising for 'Z' rated titles is strictly prohibited in school-related magazines to prevent underage exposure.
The regulatory framework applies exclusively to domestically sold home-console and handheld software, explicitly excluding arcade machines, adult PC games, mobile content, and parallel-imported software.
The CERO 'Z' advertising guidelines, effective since April 1, 2008, and revised on June 20, 2012, mandate that all promotional materials for 18+ home-console games must exclude restricted content and clearly display the 'Z' age-rating icon.
Advertisers must include a mandatory disclaimer on all materials stating that the product is not sold to persons under 18 and that the game contains adult-rated content.
Public events featuring 'Z' rated demos must isolate the content from public view and enforce mandatory age verification for all participants and demo distributions.
Online platforms must implement age-gating on official game homepages, require age verification for e-commerce purchases, and provide links to the official CERO rating page.
Print advertising for 'Z' rated titles is strictly prohibited in school-related magazines to prevent underage exposure.
The regulatory framework applies exclusively to domestically sold home-console and handheld software, explicitly excluding arcade machines, adult PC games, mobile content, and parallel-imported software.