European rating boards PEGI will now label games with lootboxes as PEGI 16

PEGI has announced sweeping changes to its age rating system that will see any newly submitted game containing paid loot boxes classified as PEGI 16 or higher across Europe from June 2026.

The details:

• The European ratings board confirmed that games featuring “paid random items," such as loot boxes, card packs, and gacha-style pulls, will now receive a default PEGI 16 age rating. This means that these games cannot legally be sold to anyone under 16 in countries where PEGI is written into law, with some titles escalated to PEGI 18 depending on how closely they resemble gambling.
• The changes will only apply to games submitted for classification from June 2026 onward, so existing titles that already feature loot boxes will keep their current ratings. PEGI states that the change was put in place to better inform parents about the danger of modern monetization and engagement systems, which can sometimes lead to children racking up thousands in charges.
• PEGI’s changes will most notably affect the popular EA Sports FC franchise, which was previously rated as PEGI 3. Unless EA removes or massively overhauls its loot box-style card system from the game’s Ultimate Team mode, the game will now be rated as PEGI 16 by default.
• PEGI is also making further changes to its guidelines; in‑game purchases such as time‑limited or quantity‑limited offers will result in a PEGI 12 rating. Games featuring daily‑quest style systems that reward players for logging in will start at PEGI 7 but rise to PEGI 12 if players are penalized for staying away. PEGI 18 ratings will now be given to online games that allow completely unrestricted communication without the ability to block and report other players, as well as titles that incorporate NFTs or blockchain-related monetization.