The Epic Games Store is set to implement age verification for R18+ games in Australia

Image credit: Epic Games

As of September 9, Epic Games has mandated Australian users to confirm their age as 18 or older before they can download or purchase games rated R18+ from the Epic Games Store.

A report from PocketGamer.biz states that this step aligns Epic Games with Australia's online safety code regarding adult content access. Titles already owned by players and those rated below R18+ will not be impacted.

Epic employs its Kids Web Services (KWS) system for these verifications and has expanded it to include several third-party options. Players can prove their age via a selfie using Yoti, a credit card with Stripe, or a government-issued ID checked by Veriff.

Additionally, a bank verification choice, integrated through ConnectID, is expected to be introduced later in September.

Epic Games ensures that information collected for age verification is used solely for that purpose and is managed separately from KWS data.

At the end of August, Xbox initiated a similar age verification process in Australia. Users must authenticate their age to engage with R18+ content on Microsoft's Xbox Store across both consoles and PCs, conforming to local regulations.

Earlier this year in July, Microsoft started rolling out age verification in the UK, following the introduction of the Online Safety Act. Similar measures were implemented by Valve for Steam users in the UK to facilitate access to mature content.