Call of Duty is not assigned one universal “18” rating. In regions using PEGI, some releases receive PEGI 18 for strong violence and other mature content. In the United States, the ESRB labels cited Call of Duty games M for Mature 17+, with descriptors that include intense violence, blood and gore, strong language and, in some games, drug content. The exact rating depends on the installment and region.
What makes these Call of Duty games suitable for mature audiences?
The most prominent factor in the official examples is graphic, realistic violence: shootings, blood effects and scenes involving severe injury or death. Language and drug depictions also contribute to some games’ content descriptions. These examples apply to the specific releases named below; they do not mean that every Call of Duty game contains every listed element.
What does PEGI say about Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered?
PEGI rates Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered PEGI 18 for strong violence and use of a sexual expletive. Its listing describes scenes including innocent characters being shot, a bound man shot in the back of the head, and a knife piercing an enemy’s eye socket. It also identifies use of the expletive “fucking.” PEGI’s listing gives the rating rationale and examples for this release.
Why do US ESRB ratings say M for Mature 17+?
The ESRB uses its own system; M for Mature 17+ is not the same label as PEGI 18 or ESRB Adults Only 18+. Its general description says Mature 17+ content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up and may include intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, or strong language. The ESRB’s content descriptors signal elements that may have contributed to the rating or may interest or concern consumers, but they are not a complete inventory of everything in a game. See the ESRB ratings guide.
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#1 Best Overall
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- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
- MULTIPLAYER BUILT ON CONTROL — Engage in grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and refined mechanics give you greater control in every firefight.
- TACTICAL DMZ OPERATIONS — Deploy behind enemy lines as an off‑the‑books asset, making high‑risk decisions on objectives and extraction in a dynamic mode where every run counts.
Modern Warfare III
The ESRB rates Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III M for Mature 17+ for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, and Use of Drugs. Its summary describes shootings of civilians and prisoners, frequent gunfire and explosions, and finishing moves that can involve decapitation or dismemberment. It also mentions profanity and cannabis depictions. The page lists Users Interact and In-Game Purchases separately as interactive elements, not as content descriptors that themselves caused the mature rating. Read the ESRB summary for Modern Warfare III.
Black Ops 6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is also ESRB M for Mature 17+, with Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, and Use of Drugs. The ESRB summary describes realistic gunfire, blood-splatter effects, close-up attacks, an eye-gouging sequence and characters exploding into bloody chunks. Its additional descriptors show why it is important to check the particular game rather than assume every installment has identical content. Read the ESRB summary for Black Ops 6.
Rank #2
- The Best Shooter Experience on Console in 2017 - Daily Star
- An Explosive Return to its Roots - The Telegraph
- Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII a breath-taking experience that redefines World War II for a gaming generation
- Experience three different game modes: Campaign, multiplayer and co-operative
- Experience Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny
Are PEGI 18 and ESRB M the same rating?
No. PEGI 18 is the label in the cited European rating entry; the cited US ESRB entries use M for Mature 17+. The ESRB also has a distinct Adults Only 18+ category, so calling an ESRB M game “18+” is inaccurate. PlayStation’s US ratings overview likewise defines M as suitable for persons 17 years and older and explains that descriptors identify content that may have triggered a rating or interest consumers. See PlayStation’s US ratings overview.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check the rating for the Call of Duty game you have
- Identify the exact title and release, including whether it is a remaster or a particular installment.
- Check the rating shown for your region and platform; a rating in one system does not establish the label used by another.
- Open the rating authority’s full entry and read its content descriptors and examples, rather than relying on the age symbol alone.
This is especially useful for parents and caregivers: the official examples here are tied to individual games, not the franchise as a whole. A game’s local rating summary is the relevant guide to its specific content.
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Best Value
- Game is playable on October 23, 2026. Digital code will be available on September 25th to redeem.
- BONUS 2X OFFER — Purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 at Amazon and receive 5 hours of Double XP.**
- PRE-ORDER BONUS — Pre-order and unlock the Hunter Killer Operator Skin and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack.*
- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
- MULTIPLAYER BUILT ON CONTROL — Engage in grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and refined mechanics give you greater control in every firefight.
Rank #4
- BONUS 2X OFFER — Purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 at Amazon and receive 5 hours of Double XP.**
- PRE-ORDER BONUS — Pre-order and unlock the Hunter Killer Operator Skin and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack.*
- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
- MULTIPLAYER BUILT ON CONTROL — Engage in grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and refined mechanics give you greater control in every firefight.
- TACTICAL DMZ OPERATIONS — Deploy behind enemy lines as an off‑the‑books asset, making high‑risk decisions on objectives and extraction in a dynamic mode where every run counts.
Rank #3
- Legacy Edition Includes: Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered*;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, strong language, suggestive themes
- Infinity Ward reaches new heights with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which returns to the roots of the franchise with large-scale war, epic battles, and cinematic, immersive military storytelling and takes players on a journey from Earth to beyond our atmosphere.
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare delivers something for every Call of Duty fan with three unique game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is back, remastered in true high-definition featuring improved textures, physically based rendering, high-dynamic range lighting and much more to bring a new generation experience to fans.
- Team up with your friends with 10 of the iconic multiplayer maps from the online multiplayer mode that redefined Call of Duty introducing killstreaks, XP, Prestige and more in customizable, classic multiplayer modes.
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