A new change to age ratings in Europe will mean games with loot boxes are rated PEGI 16.
Loot boxes have always been a topic of contention in the gaming industry, and it seems a major change is coming to this space soon. We recently saw Valve being hit by a class-action lawsuit accusing it of running an illegal gambling operation. Now, PEGI is also changing ratings for games with micro-transactions and loot box systems.
PEGI Ratings Changes Will Arrive in June 2026
There are four categories under which we will see changes to PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) age ratings. The first up are in-app purchases, where games that include paid battle passes, time-limited items that would influence people to return to the game, will receive a PEGI 12 rating. Games that feature NFTs or blockchain-related mechanisms will receive a PEGI 18 rating.
Regarding loot boxes, games with paid random items will receive a PEGI 16 rating and, in some cases, a PEGI 18 rating; games like the EA Sports FC series could be most affected, as they are currently rated PEGI 3. Games with systems that reward players for returning to the game, such as daily quests (play-by-appointment), will receive a PEGI 7 rating, and if those systems punish players for not returning, such as by losing content or reducing progress, they will receive a PEGI 12 rating.
Lastly, if a game has no restrictions on communication features, such as blocking and reporting, it will receive a PEGI 18 rating. Here’s what Dirk Bosmans, Director of PEGI, stated on the new changes:
“It was incredibly useful to learn from the experiences of our colleagues in Germany. We are confident that these ambitious updates to PEGI’s classification criteria will provide parents and players with more useful and transparent advice that better reflects the overall experience that players can expect from the video games they play.”
In other news, dataminers have uncovered strings suggesting that controversial loot boxes could be coming to Marvel Rivals. Additionally, here’s Valve’s statement responding to New York’s lawsuit, disputing claims its loot boxes are illegal gambling. What are your thoughts on the PEGI age ratings changes? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more information from Insider Gaming, read about Pokémon Pokopia surpassing 2.2 million global sales in 4 days. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
