Can DLC change a game's ESRB rating?

[Trevor L]

Recently, Creative Assembly released the Blood Pack DLC for Total War: Shogun 2 (can find a news release here http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/11/30/total-war-shogun-2-dlc-adds-decapitation-limb-severing-blood-hattori-clan/)

My question is this. Given the mature content added by this DLC content, will the ESRB change the rating for the game. This may represent a new hurdle for the ESRB, as I am unsure if the standard notice that "game experience may change online" will cover situations like this. I am curious as to what the Escapist community thinks about this issue?

 

[Aris Khandr]

It's optional, and you have to pay extra for it. Odds are, if you're old enough to be buying DLC on your own through Steam (meaning you have access to a credit card without mommy and daddy's permission), you probably don't have to worry about the ESRB rating.

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

Downloadable content (DLC) may be downloaded and installed directly onto a player's system. Oftentimes, DLC consists of additional content that supplements an existing, previously-rated product. DLC that will be appended to an existing, previously-rated product need only be submitted to ESRB for rating if its content exceeds that which is in the existing "core" product. Otherwise, the rating assigned to the core product is applicable to the DLC as well. Where, however, DLC content exceeds the rating assigned to the core product, it must be submitted to ESRB and a different rating will be associated with this DLC.

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/faq.jsp#16.5

I think that answers the question, if it fits the game's same concepts it doesn't need a rating, but if it does as you've mentioned to Total War, I think the DLC itself would get a slightly harsher rating than the game. It won't alter the game's rating itself though, as DLC is entirely optional.