Gaming Industry Launches Standardized Accessibility Tags for Players with Disabilities

The Accessible Games Initiative, led by the ESA and five founding members, introduces 24 tags to improve accessibility information across games.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has launched the Accessible Games Initiative at GDC 2025 to address accessibility barriers in gaming.
The initiative introduces 24 standardized tags to describe accessibility features, such as narrated menus, input remapping, and large subtitles.
Founding members include Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, and Ubisoft, with additional companies like Amazon Games and Riot Games joining.
Microsoft plans to replace its Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags with the new tags, while other companies are in the planning stages of implementation.
The initiative aims to empower players with disabilities by providing clear, consistent information on game features, though adoption timelines vary by company.