Mario Kart Tour’ Is Rated 18+ Now—and It’s Not for What You Think

Mario Kart Tour has suddenly been given an 18+ rating in a move that is surprising since it is a Nintendo game and the company has always been known as family-friendly. However, the really shocking part of the change is that it wasn't motivated by the reason that gamers might assume, which has left fans feeling confused. Here's what's actually behind the drastic change.

Why 'Mario Kart Tour' Was Given an 18+ Rating

In March 2026, it was reported that Mario Kart Tour had its rating changed in Brazil to 18+. That puts a Nintendo game closely associated with the Super Mario franchise on the same level as some of the most mature titles available. As it turns out, the change was motivated by the title's in-game purchases. The move came after the game was completely banned in Belgium in 2019 over the same issue.

In Mario Kart Tour, players can spend real money on rubies, which can be used to buy specific high-end drivers, karts, and gliders. The only alternative way to get those highly desirable things in the game is by slowly earning rubies through regular play, which takes a lot of time. As such, many players opt to spend the money to avoid that grind.

That is a problem because the Brazilian Advisory Rating, or the Classificação Indicativa, reportedly takes action against games that target younger players with in-app purchases. That is why the game is now rated 18+ in Brazil and only 4+ in the United States. Instead of giving the game a higher rating in America, it has a warning about the title featuring "optional in-game purchases."

The Origin of Video Game Ratings in America

In 1994, the video game industry launched its own self-regulatory body known as the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or the ESRB. Ever since then, that group has given video games ratings in America. Looking back at the history of why that body was created shows how surprising it is to see a game like Mario Kart Tour get an 18+ rating, even if it is in an international market.

In 1993, congressional hearings were held amid pitched controversies sparked by video games that were extremely controversial at the time. Realizing they were facing the real possibility of becoming regulated by the government, the video game companies saw the ESRB as their solution to avert that possibility.

Back in 1993, it was games like Night Trap and Mortal Kombat, which featured extreme violence and adult themes, that were being targeted by regulators. That is a far cry from the idea of a government body giving Mario Kart Tour an 18+ rating.