PEGI Raises Age Ratings for Games With Loot Boxes

PEGI has begun raising the age ratings of existing digital games containing paid loot boxes and other randomized purchases, with affected titles moving to a PEGI 16 classification.

The European video game rating organization is applying its updated criteria to previously released digital-only games that were originally classified as PEGI 3, PEGI 7, or PEGI 12.

The changes follow PEGI's introduction of stricter age-rating requirements in June 2026, which expanded how interactive features and in-game monetization influence game classifications.

Under the updated rules, games featuring paid random rewards, including loot boxes, card packs, and gacha mechanics, generally receive a minimum PEGI 16 rating.

Microsoft's official game publishing guidelines also document the revised PEGI requirements, including the possibility of a PEGI 18 classification in certain cases.

The latest development extends these requirements to eligible games that were already available before the new criteria took effect.

Connor Hinde, policy manager at the UK's Games Rating Authority, confirmed that the organization began applying the updated rules to selected existing digital games in October.

The revised classifications apply to games rated through both PEGI's traditional assessment process and the International Age Rating Coalition system.

Affected titles will carry a PEGI 16 rating alongside a descriptor identifying the presence of paid random items.

The reclassification process is being introduced gradually throughout October, meaning developers and publishers may need to update their games' age-rating information across digital storefronts.

However, the policy does not mean that loot boxes are banned. Instead, it changes how games containing these monetization systems are classified for consumers.

The US-based Entertainment Software Rating Board has not adopted the same changes, meaning age ratings may differ between European and American markets.