These Are the Only Games to Get an Adults Only Rating After Release

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - December 17th 2025, 23:58 GMT+1

Conan Exiles (2018)

On PC, *Conan Exiles* made headlines less for survival mechanics and more for how unapologetically literal it was about bodies existing in the world. Full-frontal nudity was baked into the Windows version as an optional setting, which immediately put the game in a ratings gray zone that consoles weren’t willing to entertain. When the PlayStation and Xbox editions arrived, that content was quietly trimmed back to stay within an M rating, creating a split personality across platforms. The result wasn’t outrage so much as confusion: the same game, different rules, depending on where you played it. Historically, it stands as a reminder that ratings aren’t just about what’s in the code, but where that code is allowed to live. Sometimes the most controversial design choice is simply leaving a checkbox in the options menu. | © Funcom

Agony (2018)

This one didn’t tiptoe around controversy, it sprinted straight into it. *Agony* was initially branded with an Adults Only rating, forcing its developers to cut content just to get the game out the door in an M-rated form. That compromise didn’t sit well for long, especially on PC, where expectations for uncensored versions tend to be louder and more persistent. Plans to restore the missing material through a patch collapsed due to publisher concerns, which only added fuel to the fire. Eventually, the developers went fully independent and re-released the game as *Agony Unrated*, restoring the content and polishing the experience along the way. It’s less a redemption arc than a case study in how ratings, publishers, and creative intent can end up pulling in opposite directions. | © Madmind Studio

Outlast 2 (2017)

The horror here didn’t stop at cults and cornfields. Before release, *Outlast 2* underwent edits specifically to avoid an Adults Only rating, a process that already hinted at how close it was skating to the edge. Things escalated internationally when Australia initially refused to classify the game at all, effectively banning it until a revised version secured an R18+ rating. On PC, the story took another turn in 2018, when a patch quietly restored previously cut content, reigniting discussion around its original boundaries. What makes this entry historically interesting isn’t just the violence, but how differently regulators across regions responded to the same material. Few games have been so thoroughly stress-tested by ratings boards before and after launch. | © Red Barrels

Manhunt 2 cropped processed by imagy — Manhunt 2 (2007)

By the time *Manhunt 2* arrived, its reputation preceded it – and then some. The game was heavily edited before release to secure an M rating, a move that satisfied almost no one and still failed to smooth its path internationally. Both edited and uncut versions were refused classification in the United Kingdom, leading to a drawn-out appeal process that eventually granted the censored version an “18” rating. The story didn’t end there: an uncut PC version later surfaced under an Adults Only rating, cementing the game’s place in ratings history. Rather than being remembered for innovation, it’s now a textbook example of how far a title can be pushed, pulled, and re-labeled after launch. Sometimes notoriety becomes the legacy. | © Rockstar Games

Fahrenheit 2005 — Fahrenheit (2005)

Released in North America under the safer-sounding title *Indigo Prophecy*, this game arrived with noticeable absences. Several explicit scenes were removed to meet the M rating, creating a version that differed significantly from its European counterpart. Players noticed, talked, and in many cases simply imported the uncut release instead, a fact later acknowledged by Quantic Dream’s leadership. The ESRB would later list a PC “director’s cut” as Adults Only, though whether that specific version was ever widely released remains unclear. Years later, a 2015 remaster restored the content without triggering the same rating concerns, quietly closing the loop. It’s a rare case where time, rather than censorship, ended up solving the problem. | © Quantic Dream

Lula3d cropped processed by imagy — Lula 3D (2005)

If you ever wondered how a game could earn an Adults Only rating almost by default, *Lula 3D* is the cautionary tale. Built entirely around explicit sexual content, it skipped subtlety in favor of being as on-the-nose as possible, which immediately put it outside the boundaries of mainstream console and retail distribution. The ESRB rated it AO, effectively sealing its fate in North America before it could even try to make a splash. While it did release in parts of Europe, the lack of a U.S. launch turned it into a kind of forbidden footnote rather than a genuine commercial product. Historically, it’s less important for what it achieved and more for how clearly it demonstrated the hard limits of the rating system. Some games push boundaries; this one camped outside them. | © Intellivision

San andreas — Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

This wasn’t supposed to happen... until it very publicly did. Long after release, players uncovered the infamous “Hot Coffee” content, an unfinished minigame buried in the code and accessible through mods or cheat devices. Even though the material wasn’t playable by default, its existence was enough for the ESRB to temporarily re-rate the game as Adults Only, an unprecedented move for a blockbuster already sitting on store shelves. Retailers reacted swiftly, pulling copies and forcing Rockstar into damage-control mode. A patch soon followed, removing the content entirely and restoring the M rating. More than any other case, this episode reshaped how developers treat leftover assets and how ratings boards define “hidden” content. | © Rockstar North

Thrill Kill 1998 cropped processed by imagy — Thrill Kill (1998)

Some games never get the chance to be controversial in public – they’re stopped before the door even opens. *Thrill Kill* was completed and rated AO, but its fate was sealed when Virgin Interactive’s U.S. operations were acquired by Electronic Arts. EA took one look at the game’s extreme violence and sexual imagery and decided it wasn’t something they wanted their name anywhere near. The release was cancelled outright, turning the game into underground legend status through leaked builds and word of mouth. Its Adults Only rating mattered less than the corporate line it crossed at exactly the wrong time. In industry history, it stands as a reminder that ownership changes can end projects instantly, no matter how finished they are. | © Paradox Development Studio

Wet the sexy empire cropped processed by imagy — Lula: The Sexy Empire (1998)

The title alone pretty much tells you where this is going, and the game doesn’t bother pretending otherwise. Marketed in some places as *Wet: The Sexy Empire*, it’s a business simulation built around building a multimillion-dollar adult entertainment operation—less “will they, won’t they” and more “here’s the spreadsheet for your smut empire.” That premise is exactly why it became a Europe-only oddity instead of something you’d casually spot in a North American electronics aisle. It launched on Windows and AmigaOS, wore its adult framing openly, and basically dared distribution channels to deal with it. Historically, it’s interesting not because it “pushed boundaries” in any noble way, but because it shows how quickly a game’s subject matter can decide its territory before anyone even argues about reviews. In other words: the controversy is baked in, no patch notes required. | © Take-Two Interactive

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It’s rare enough to see an Adults Only badge in the wild, but even rarer when it shows up after a game has already launched. The ESRB almost never escalates ratings post-release, which makes these cases less “oops” and more full-blown industry events. These are the only games that managed to cross that invisible line after players already had the disc in hand or the download in progress.

What ties them together isn’t shock value for shock’s sake, but content that slipped past initial review and later raised eyebrows loud enough to force a re-rating. And yes, these are the only titles to ever earn an AO rating after release. If you’re curious about the games that launched with an AO rating from day one, don’t worry, we’ve already done that homework too, and it’s waiting for you right over there.