PEGI to Raise Age Rating for Games With Loot Boxes Across Europe

PEGI, the European video game rating system, is updating its criteria to address paid random items such as loot boxes, card packs, and gacha systems. This change will affect how games are classified and sold across Europe from June 2026.

Under the new rules, any game that includes paid random items will be assigned a minimum age rating of 16. This adjustment is intended to standardise the classification of games with features like loot boxes throughout the region.

PEGI’s revised approach will also introduce new interactive risk categories later in 2026. These categories are designed to link specific game features, such as in-game purchases and unmoderated player communication, to corresponding age ratings.

Currently, PEGI’s Code of Conduct requires publishers to indicate when a game contains purchasable random items. The upcoming changes will further tighten these requirements, especially for games that encourage continuous play or include paid randomised content.

What the numbers show

• The new PEGI minimum age rating for games with paid random items takes effect in June 2026
• PEGI age categories are 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18
• In the UK, it is an offence to sell PEGI 12, 16, or 18 rated games to those below the specified age

PEGI’s age rating system is widely used across Europe and is legally binding in the UK for games rated 12, 16, or 18. Retailers are required by law to comply with these age restrictions when selling video games.

The new interactive risk categories will explicitly connect certain game mechanics, such as loot boxes and in-game purchases, to age classifications. This aims to provide clearer information to consumers and retailers about the nature of content in video games.

By July 2026, all games featuring paid random items will need to meet the PEGI 16 or higher rating requirement. This policy applies to both physical and digital game sales within the covered jurisdictions.

PEGI’s updated criteria reflect ongoing efforts to address concerns related to in-game monetisation features. The system’s existing framework already mandates disclosure of randomised purchasable content, and the new measures will further reinforce these standards across Europe.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.