The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) organization has updated its rating system with two new categories to address online risks. Age rating labels are used widely throughout Europe in 38 countries as a means to help ensure that various entertainment media content, such as games, movies, or television shows, are listed as suitable for different age groups. PEGI has been the de facto system used by multiple industries to enforce a system aimed at protecting children from content that could be potentially harmful, depending on their age. PEGI’s latest updates focus on updating ratings for games that include loot boxes, in-game monetization, timed gameplay requirements (i.e., must log in at least once a day, etc.), and online chat options. PEGI’s latest changes were made in collaboration with the German age rating authority USK who made its own changes in 2023 to comply with the German Youth Protection Act.
“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.”
Dirk Bosmans, Director of PEGI
The updated rating criteria will apply only to new games submitted for rating after June 2026; older games will not be re-rated, even if they contain any of the content referenced under the new requirements. Games with in-game purchases will now be rated PEGI 12, but if they feature random drops, they are then rated PEGI 16, and if any blockchain integration is used, they will be rated PEGI 18. Games which require timed attendance or goals will be PEGI 7, but if the game punishes the player for not meeting those requirements is rating is bumped up to PEGI 12. Lastly, any game that does not support user reporting or blocking with its online chatting features will receive the highest rating of PEGI 18.
- Purchases of in-game content: games with time-limited or quantity-limited offers will be classified with a PEGI 12, games with NFTs or blockchain-related mechanisms will be PEGI 18.
- Paid random items: the default rating will be PEGI 16 if the game contains paid random items (and in some cases they can be a PEGI 18).
- Play-by-appointment: mechanisms that reward returning to the game (e.g. daily quests) will get a PEGI 7. If these mechanisms punish players for not returning (e.g. by losing content or reducing progress) they will become PEGI 12.
- Safe online gameplay: if games contain entirely unrestricted communication features (e.g. no blocking or reporting), they will be PEGI 18.
As mentioned by VGC, the new criteria could have a significant impact on long-running franchises such as EA’s Sports FC, which is currently rated PEGI 3 but will become PEGI 16 unless the publisher removes its loot box mechanic. This is unlikely to occur given the ludicrous amount of revenue EA is believed to receive from them.