Google phases out video games category in AdSense blocking controls

Google announced yesterday that it will begin deprecating the "Video Games (Casual & Online)" sensitive category from AdSense Blocking controls starting May 15, 2025. The move affects publishers who rely on this specific category to filter gaming-related advertisements from appearing on their websites.

From May 15, 2025, Google will start to remove the "Video Games (Casual & Online)" sensitive category from Blocking controls. Once this happens, publishers will no longer be able to block ads from video games, online games, and downloadable games using the "Video Games (Casual & Online)" sensitive category.

The announcement comes amid broader changes to Google's publisher tools as the company continues refining its ad categorization system. Publishers have approximately two weeks to review their existing ad blocking configurations and make necessary adjustments.

Who needs to take action?

The impact of this change varies depending on whether publishers currently use this category in their blocking controls:

Publishers who don't have any existing blocks that use this category don't need to take any action. On May 15, 2025, Google will simply remove the "Video Games (Casual & Online)" category from their Blocking controls.

However, publishers who actively use this category to control gaming-related ads on their websites face a more complex transition:

For publishers with existing blocks that use this category, Google will add a "Deprecated" label to the "Video Games (Casual & Online)" category in their Blocking controls on May 15, 2025. Then, beginning June 15, 2025, existing blocks will no longer apply. Importantly, publishers can still use the "Video Games, Consoles & Accessories" and "Online Games & Puzzles" general categories or their subcategories to block ads from video games, online games, and downloadable games if they believe these types of ads are unsuitable for their users.

This one-month window between labeling and actual cessation of functionality gives publishers an opportunity to reconfigure their blocking controls before the changes take effect.

Understanding sensitive versus general categories

The distinction between sensitive and general categories in AdSense forms a critical component of publisher ad control systems. According to Google's documentation, sensitive categories are used to block groups of ads that are considered "sensitive" due to the nature of the business or ad content.

Publishers can block groups of ads that are considered "sensitive" due to the nature of the business or ad — such as Sensationalism or Significant Skin Exposure — from appearing on their network or specified inventory.

The "Video Games (Casual & Online)" sensitive category has been specifically designed to handle gaming-related content:

The category includes video games, online games and downloadable games; it does not include video game consoles.

After the deprecation, publishers will need to rely on general categories to manage gaming-related ads:

Publishers can block ads from general categories such as Apparel, Internet, Real Estate, and Vehicles. General category blocking is available for ads in a limited set of languages, regardless of the language of their site.

Technical implementation details

The removal process follows a phased approach over approximately one month. The technical implementation will proceed in these stages:

1. May 15, 2025: Initial removal of the category for publishers without existing blocks
2. May 15, 2025: Addition of "Deprecated" label for publishers with existing blocks
3. June 15, 2025: Complete cessation of existing blocks' functionality

Publishers should note that Google's ad classification system relies on automated technology:

Google's system classifies ads automatically, and doesn't rely solely on advertiser-provided categorization. The technology makes its best attempt to filter ads from the possible categories; however, Google doesn't guarantee that it will block every related ad.

This automated classification means that even with alternative categories in place, publishers may need to monitor ad performance closely during and after the transition.

Alternative blocking methods

Google recommends that publishers who currently use the soon-to-be-deprecated category update their existing controls to maintain their desired brand safety standards:

Google recommends that publishers review and update their existing general category and sensitive category blocks within their Blocking controls to ensure that their brand safety requirements continue to be met effectively.

Specifically, publishers have two main alternatives:

1. The "Video Games, Consoles & Accessories" general category
2. The "Online Games & Puzzles" general category or their subcategories

These alternatives provide more granular control options compared to the broad sensitive category being deprecated.

Language support considerations

An important technical aspect publishers should consider is that general category blocking has language limitations:

General category blocking is available for ads in a limited set of languages, regardless of the language of the publisher's site.

The supported languages for general category blocking include Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. Some languages have specific exceptions—for example, Japanese includes "Guns & Firearms" as an exception.

Brand safety implications

This change underscores the importance of regularly reviewing brand safety configurations in AdSense. The general recommendation from Google extends beyond this specific category change:

Google recommends that publishers review and update their existing general category and sensitive category blocks within their Blocking controls to ensure that their brand safety requirements continue to be met effectively.

For publishers who manage multiple sites, the process for updating blocking controls varies slightly depending on whether they want to apply changes to individual sites or across their entire portfolio.

Why this matters for marketers

The deprecation of the "Video Games (Casual & Online)" sensitive category represents a significant shift for digital marketers operating in both publishing and advertising sectors. This technical change will alter how gaming-related advertising reaches audiences across the AdSense network.

For publishers who target family-friendly audiences or educational markets, the ability to precisely control gaming content becomes more complex, potentially requiring more granular configuration using multiple general categories rather than a single sensitive category toggle.

Advertisers in the gaming industry may see broader distribution of their ads across websites that previously blocked them under the sensitive category but fail to implement the alternative general category blocks. This could open new inventory opportunities for gaming advertisers while simultaneously creating potential brand safety challenges for publishers.

Content marketers and SEO specialists need to consider that sites using AdSense may experience changes in user experience and engagement metrics if unwanted gaming ads begin appearing due to misconfigured blocking controls post-deprecation.

The thirty-day transition window between May 15 and June 15 provides a critical implementation period during which marketing teams should collaborate with their technical departments to ensure ad experiences remain aligned with content strategy and audience expectations.

Timeline

The deprecation process follows a clear timeline that publishers should note:

• May 2, 2025: Initial announcement of category deprecation
• May 15, 2025: Removal of category for publishers without existing blocks
• May 15, 2025: Addition of "Deprecated" label for publishers with existing blocks
• June 15, 2025: Complete cessation of existing blocks' functionality