Age verification is coming to 18+ purchases in Brazil and Australia

Starting August 2026, to comply with local laws and regulations in Brazil and in Australia, players in those markets may need to verify their age before purchasing or accessing games and apps rated 18+ on the storefronts Microsoft operates there, including the XBOX Store on console and the XBOX app on PC. If verification is not completed, access to 18+ content may be restricted. Purchases that succeed in your title today may be refused for players who have not verified.

June 04, 2026

Age verification is being added, to comply with local laws and regulations in Brazil and in Australia, ahead of the purchase or access of 18+ content on the storefronts where Microsoft sells games and apps in those markets: the XBOX Store on console, the XBOX app on PC, the Microsoft Store on Windows, the store section of Xbox.com, and the store section of the XBOX mobile app. The check happens once, on the account, and Microsoft carries it out with its verification partners. Your title does not implement it.

In these two markets, a player attempting an 18+ purchase is in one of three states: verified and able to buy, unverified and prompted to verify, or unverified and unable to complete the purchase. That affects your store listing, your add-on sales and your in-game store.

Q: What is changing, where, and when?

  • Age verification will be required, to comply with local laws and regulations in Brazil and in Australia, before purchasing or accessing games and apps rated 18+ on the same storefronts in those markets.
  • It starts in August 2026 in both markets. Rollout completes on 7 September 2026 in Australia and on 11 September 2026 in Brazil.
  • This article covers Brazil and Australia. There are no other markets to announce at this time.
  • Important: In Brazil, verified adults can purchase in-game loot boxes. Minors and players who have not verified cannot.

Q: What are the high-level impacts to developers and publishers?

  • Your title's rating, your submission process and your store listing do not change. No new certification requirements will be added.
  • For out-of-game purchases, the XBOX Store on console and the XBOX app on PC will handle the verification with a global, third-party vendor (Yoti, VerifyMy).
  • For in-game purchases, partners are recommended to consult with your global readiness and compliance experts for how to best proceed.
  • This article describes what changes on those storefronts. It does not describe the legislation in either market, and it does not tell you whether your title meets a market's legal requirements. For questions about the law, consult your own legal counsel or the relevant authority in that market. For questions about your title, contact your Xbox partner manager.

Q: How does this affect the purchase flow?

  • A player who has not verified may be prompted to verify when purchasing or accessing apps or games rated 18+ on the XBOX Store on console and the XBOX app on PC. Purchases that do not involve 18+ rated content are not affected. If verification is not completed, the purchase or access may be refused. Adult players who choose not to complete age assurance, won't be able to view or make new purchases or downloads of games and apps rated 18+.
  • Any mature-rated games or content already tied to player’s account will remain accessible and playable.

Q: Is action required if my title already complies with XR-014?

  • In reference to XR-014, the current API makes the age asserted by the player available to the title, but that API does not provide the rigorous age verification process required.
  • Microsoft is building an API that will provide information about whether the player has been verified as an adult, based on third-party verification services. Its name, shape, fields, availability date and market coverage will be released as soon as possible.

What steps can XBOX developers and publishers take now to better understand the impact to their business in Brazil and Australia?

  • List every place your title sells or unlocks 18+ rated content in those markets: the base game, add-ons, downloadable content, in-game currency and anything sold through an in-game store.
  • Decide what your title shows when a purchase is refused because the player has not verified. Point the player at verification rather than showing a generic failure.
  • Check that any age gate or age message your title already shows agrees with the platform prompt. The platform check controls access to 18+ content on those storefronts.
  • Expect a period when some of your players in these markets have not yet verified. Review anything time-limited near August 2026, such as a launch, a sale or a live event.
  • Prepare any community, support or launch messages for players in Brazil and Australia now, and point those players to the Microsoft support guidance rather than writing your own account instructions.
  • Take any question about your own obligations in these markets to your legal counsel.
  • Take any question about your title on any of those storefronts to your Xbox partner manager.
  • Ask your Xbox partner manager to tell you when the age assurance API specification is available.

Where can I learn more?

Developer Resources