adminPEGI loot box ratings are set to change from the beginning of June, as the European age-classification system expands its approach to online features and player spending. The updated rules cover paid random items, limited-time offers, incentives to return to a game and some forms of online communication. They apply to games submitted for classification from June onwards.
Image credit: PEGI
PEGI loot box ratings and the new age classifications
The updated criteria introduce minimum ratings for several game features. These classifications are intended to help parents understand not only a game’s content, but also how its online systems may influence spending, play habits and interaction with others.
- Paid random items: Games offering paid items whose contents are random—such as card packs, gacha systems or keys that unlock random rewards—will receive a PEGI 16 rating. Social casino games will be rated PEGI 18.
- In-game purchases: Games with time-limited or quantity-limited offers, including paid battle passes and countdown-timer deals, will receive PEGI 12. If the game includes controls that switch spending off by default, the rating can be reduced to PEGI 7. Games with in-game purchases linked to NFTs that are required to play and can be traded in the game will be rated PEGI 18.
- Pressure to play: Features that encourage players to return at set times, including daily quests and login streaks, will result in a PEGI 7 rating. Paid battle passes with rewards that become unavailable if players miss certain goals will lead to PEGI 12. The same rating applies when a player can lose acquired content or status by not returning to the game.
- Online communication: In rare cases, games that allow completely unrestricted communication, without features such as reporting systems or community standards, will be rated PEGI 18.
For parents, these categories offer a practical starting point when checking a game. It can also be useful to review a game’s spending and communication settings directly, since the PEGI rating does not replace family rules or platform-level parental controls.
Why PEGI is broadening its criteria
PEGI is used in nearly all of Europe. In the UK, it took over legal responsibility for video game age ratings from the British Board of Film Classification in 2012. Germany is a notable exception: it uses the USK system, which existed before PEGI was established.
In 2023, USK revised its system to reflect changes to Germany’s Youth Protection Act, including consideration of loot boxes and online risks. PEGI director Dirk Bosmans says PEGI worked closely with USK to bring the systems back into closer alignment.
PEGI’s last major change came in 2019, when it introduced an in-game purchases content descriptor. The new approach goes further by allowing certain interactive features—such as limited-time offers—to affect the age rating itself. Previously, PEGI mainly assessed a game’s content, including violence, sex and drug references. The expanded criteria also consider the context in which people play, spend and communicate.
USK managing director Elisabeth Secker reported that at least one of the updated criteria had been applied to approximately 30% of games submitted since Germany changed its system. Around one in three of those games received a higher age rating as a result. This suggests the revised PEGI criteria could affect a substantial number of new releases, although the impact will vary by game.
How spending controls may affect a rating
One way a game can receive a lower rating for in-game purchases is by having spending disabled by default. In that situation, a parent must actively enable the spending option before a child can access the offers. Bosmans says this can support a PEGI 7 rating for games with in-game purchases.
That exception does not currently apply to paid random items. Bosmans has said it may be considered in the future, while noting that the effectiveness of parental controls remains part of wider discussions with lawmakers. If you manage a child’s access, check both the game’s own settings and the parental controls available on the device or platform.
Industry consultation and wider regulation
PEGI consulted with video game companies, national trade associations, academics, examiners and representatives from countries that use its system before introducing the changes. Discussions included how different features affect players and whether any of the proposed ratings were too low. Bosmans says the final approach was developed through consultation and consensus.
The changes also come amid growing regulatory attention to online services and digital consumer protection across Europe. PEGI says it aims to give parents clearer information so they can make informed decisions about what their children play. An age rating is guidance: parents can consider it alongside a child’s maturity, the game’s features and available controls.
Rules for loot boxes have also changed in other countries. Belgium banned loot boxes in 2018, although questions have been raised about how consistently the ban has been enforced. Australia has required games containing loot boxes to carry a rating of 15 since 2024.
What the PEGI loot box ratings mean for players and parents
The new PEGI loot box ratings make paid random rewards one of several online features that can influence a game’s age classification. From June, paid random items generally mean PEGI 16, while other rules address spending prompts, return-to-game incentives and unrestricted communication. Because the policy applies to games submitted for classification from June onwards, existing games are not automatically reclassified under these changes. Checking the rating and reviewing in-game settings can help families understand the features a game offers before playing.
