Controversy Over Game Age Ratings: Steam Explains Its Classification System

The age rating system on the Steam game distribution platform has sparked controversy in Indonesia. In its official page titled “Age Ratings in Indonesia”, Steam explains that the rating system is sourced from two mechanisms: the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS) and self-assessment. For context, IGRS is an age-based game rating system created by the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi). Previously, the implementation of IGRS on the Steam platform drew attention from netizens on social media. They discovered several games on the Steam storefront with sexual content that were given a 3+ rating, meaning suitable for children aged three and above. Meanwhile, several popular AAA award-winning games like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater were labelled “not suitable for distribution in Indonesia”. Amid these odd findings by netizens, Komdigi has explained that the IGRS ratings appearing on Steam are not official classifications. Director of Digital Ecosystem Development at the Directorate General of Digital Ecosystem, Sonny Hendra Sudaryana, stated that those ratings still come from an internal mechanism based on self-declaration, not yet undergoing verification by the Indonesian government. On its official website, Steam explains that games on their platform distributed to Indonesian customers must have age rating information. “The Indonesian regulator has determined that games on Steam must have age ratings to be offered to customers in Indonesia,” Steam wrote on its official blog on Tuesday (7/4/2026). Furthermore, if a game does not have a valid age rating, Steam says it will hide it from the platform’s storefront for Indonesian customers. Thus, the game cannot be sold in Indonesia. “In the near future, Steam may no longer display games to customers in Indonesia if those games do not have valid age ratings,” Steam stated. Steam also explains that the age ratings on games on their platform can come from two sources: ratings issued by Komdigi through IGRS and ratings from self-assessments issued by Valve, Steam’s parent company.