The Russian authorities are developing a national standard which will lay out the criteria for classifying video games. This was announced by Anastasia Kavrusova, a representative of Rosstandart, during a round table discussion in the State Duma.
“Zemsky Sobor”
According to Kavrusova, the standard will focus on the visual images used in games. Specifically, it will consider the presence of violent scenes. This is reported to be primarily necessary for the protection of children.
Kavrusova added that besides video games, the standard will also pertain to children’s toys depicting characters from films and cartoons.
The standard is currently at the review and examination stage, but it may soon be submitted for approval. Kavrusova did not specify exactly when this will happen.
Recently, there has been ongoing discussion in Russia about the need for additional classification of video games. For instance, earlier, industry associations such as APR and RVI proposed their own labeling systems. The necessity of marking games is also addressed in the bill “On the Activities for the Development and Distribution of Video Games in the Russian Federation,” which has been under consideration in the State Duma since December 2024.