The AO ESRB rating is practically a myth. Having only been given out to 32 games over the last 19 years, the AO rating is like the movie industries NC-17: it’s a death sentence for any game that receives it. However, a free-to-play online game is flaunting its AO rating and the ESRB isn’t too happy about it.
That’s becauseWartune, a free-to-play browser based game developed in China never actually received an AO rating. In fact, its never been rated at all, and ESRB has issued a statement saying that the publisher “must discontinue their unauthorized use of our AO rating icon in its marketing.” It’s all been one big ruse in an attempt to get people to try out the game, with promises of “orgies” in this “adult fantasy game”.
I’m guessing it won’t be too long until those particular ads are pulled, and replaced with something slightly less risque. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them claiming that “This game was too shocking for even the ESRB to rate!” After all, this looks like the kind of schlock that would try to get people stupid enough to think this game might have some nudity in it to play their crappy game.