adminPEGI 16 loot box rating changes are being applied to existing digital-only games that offer paid random items. Games currently rated PEGI 3, PEGI 7, or PEGI 12 may receive a PEGI 16 classification, with updates rolling out progressively through October.
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How the PEGI 16 loot box rating applies
The updated classification is labeled PEGI 16 – Paid random items. It applies to qualifying games that include paid random items, such as loot boxes, and currently have a PEGI 3, 7, or 12 rating. The change covers existing digital-only games; the announcement does not describe a blanket change for every game with a loot box.
The new criteria apply regardless of whether a game was originally rated through PEGI’s Classic procedure or the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) system. As a result, publishers and developers may need to review ratings across games that used either process.
When existing game ratings will change
Games Rating Authority (GRA) policy manager Connor Hinde said in a LinkedIn post that the GRA had begun applying the updated criteria to a selection of existing digital games the previous week. The changes are expected to continue in stages through October, rather than all affected ratings changing at once.
The GRA has acknowledged that many ratings could change within a short period. Developers and publishers with questions about how the criteria apply to their titles have been directed to the PEGI Helpdesk. For players, checking a game’s current store listing is a practical way to see whether its displayed age rating has been updated.
How PEGI’s update compares with the ESRB approach
In March, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) said it would not adopt the age-rating changes announced by Pan-European Game Information (PEGI). The ESRB said the changes “could be confusing” for users. This means the approaches described by the two organizations are not identical; the PEGI update applies to ratings within its system.
What publishers and players should keep in mind
- Publishers and developers: Check affected digital-only titles and use the PEGI Helpdesk for questions about the new criteria.
- Players and families: Treat the updated rating as age-guidance information and review the store listing for the latest classification.
- When comparing ratings: Keep in mind that PEGI and ESRB have not taken the same approach to these changes.
Overall, the PEGI 16 loot box rating update is a phased reclassification for existing digital-only games with paid random items that previously carried PEGI 3, 7, or 12 ratings. Because ratings are changing progressively, checking the latest listing is the simplest way to confirm a particular game’s current classification.
