Dota 2 age rating: USK 12, DEJUS and IGRS 18 — 8 boards on Steam

19 August 2026 · 5 min read

GameMapa editorial · how we check facts
Checked: Claude (AI) — fact-checked against the Ukrainian original; not proofread by a native speaker

Dota 2 doesn’t have a single official age rating: its Steam page shows marks from eight separate classification boards, and each one sets its own number independently of the rest.

As of the publication date, Dota 2’s Steam page lists eight boards: AGCOM, CADPA, DEJUS, IGRS, KGRB, STEAM_AUSTRALIA, STEAM_GERMANY, and USK. Four of them give the number «12», two give «18», one gives «16», and one more shows not a number but the letter «M». This isn’t a judgment on the game’s quality or advice for parents to restrict anything — it’s simply a report of what the official store page currently shows.

How many boards have rated Dota 2 on Steam

Below is the full list of all eight marks exactly as Dota 2’s Steam page shows them.

Note that USK and STEAM_GERMANY are two separate entries on this list, and they don’t match (12 versus 16). Sources don’t explain why, and we’re not adding guesses here — we’re simply recording both rows exactly as the page shows them.

What the numbers and the letter «M» mean

Seven of the eight boards on the list use a numeric scale — «12», «16», or «18». Under the general convention behind such systems, the number reflects the minimum age that particular board recommends for the game, not a universal threshold shared worldwide. The eighth mark — «M» from the board listed on Steam as STEAM_AUSTRALIA — is a letter rather than a number: a different notation format used specifically by that system. Sources don’t give a conversion formula between the numeric and letter systems, so we’re not attempting to translate «M» into some implied age.

A separate content descriptor on the Steam page

Besides the eight classification-board marks, Dota 2’s Steam page separately shows 1 content descriptor. The explanation of that specific descriptor is provided by the store page itself right next to it — that official explanation is worth checking directly there rather than relying on a summary from other materials.

Does the Steam page itself restrict entry by age

No. According to official data, Dota 2’s Steam page doesn’t set its own age restriction on entry. That’s a separate matter from the eight board marks: they inform you about the recommended age, but they don’t function as an access filter for the page or the game.

Why the same game gets different marks in different countries

Each of the eight boards operates independently and rates the game by its own rules within its own country or region. That’s why the same Steam page can show, say, «12» from one board right next to «18» from another for the same Dota 2. Official sources don’t disclose the reasons behind any specific decision — which elements of the game drove the choice of number — so all we can report is the resulting mark, not the board’s deliberation record.

This is standard practice for any game on Steam, not something unique to Dota 2: the store collects marks from the boards active in each relevant country or region and displays them side by side on a single page. That’s why there’s no point looking for “one correct” age rating for the game — the right reference point depends on which country’s rules the reader is checking against.

If age and accessibility aren’t the only thing on your mind before starting, check out the official rundown of your first hour in the game and the list of Dota 2 game modes — both pieces rely on the same principle: verified official data only.

How to check these marks yourself

1. Open Dota 2’s official page on Steam.
2. Scroll to the age-rating block — it lists every board along with its number or letter.
3. Find the content descriptor next to it and open its explanation right on the page.
4. Compare what you see with the table above: numbers can be added or changed over time, so the Steam page remains the primary source.

What is not officially stated

• The reasons behind each board’s specific decision. Steam shows the resulting mark, not the criteria or process a board used to reach that particular number.
• Whether all eight boards rated the same version of the game. The date and details of each board’s individual decision aren’t given alongside the list of marks.
• How the marks have changed over time. Whether any of the eight marks was different before, and when it changed, isn’t shown by the sources; we only have what’s visible as of the publication date.
• A conversion formula between the numeric scale and the letter «M». Sources don’t give a rule linking the letter mark to any implied age.

In short

As of the publication date, Dota 2 on Steam carries not one but eight separate age marks — ranging from «12» to «18», plus one letter mark, «M» — each from its own independent classification board. The page itself doesn’t set an age restriction on entry.