Games With Loot Boxes To Get Minimum 16 Age Rating Across Europe
13 March 2026
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Laura CressTechnology press reporter
Games which include loot boxes will quickly be provided an age score of 16 throughout Europe, consisting of in the UK, under a host of changes by the European video game scores organisation.
The Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI)'s age ratings are displayed on games sold in the UK and other countries in Europe to show their viability for kids of various ages.
Loot boxes are an in-game feature permitting gamers to buy random mystery products with genuine or virtual currency, however recent research study has actually discovered they blur the line between gaming and betting.
The new ratings, taking result from June, could see video games consisting of systems, such as EA Sports FC, get a much higher age score.
The PEGI system is utilized in 38 nations to help consumers and especially moms and dads make informed choices about the games they buy.
Its ratings of 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 are used to show a game's suitability for certain age, instead of difficulty.
The organisation's changes to this system will see games including "paid random items" branded PEGI 16 by default. It says sometimes this might increase to PEGI 18.
Dirk Bosmans, director of PEGI, stated it was "confident" the updates would offer "better and transparent recommendations" for parents and gamers.
Emily Tofield, president of Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam), stated they were a "action in the right direction".
But she added a PEGI 18 score need to be used retrospectively to existing titles.
Currently the brand-new ratings will only apply to video games released after June.
"Without using the guidelines to existing games the policy will do little to protect the children who are already playing them," Tofield said.
'Gambling-like mechanics'
Despite concerns about loot boxes, no UK legislation controls how and where they appear in video games.
The UK government chose in 2022 not to change the Gambling Act 2005 to consist of loot boxes, stating no proof revealed a "causative link" to harms.
But guidance released by trade body Ukie in 2023 stated video game companies must restrict players under 18 from purchasing loot boxes without adult authorization.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) states it prohibits and eliminates ads which stop working to make the clear whether a game includes a loot box.
Dr Ruijie Wang, who led a January 2025 study from Bournemouth University into the hazardous dangers of betting on young people, told the BBC loot boxes were "one of the most studied examples of gambling-like mechanics in games".
"Recognising loot boxes as a risk consider age rankings is an essential step towards reflecting the truths of modern video game design, helping to supply parents with clearer signals about potential harms," she said.
PEGI's brand-new additions will likewise see games with time-limited systems, like a paid fight pass, now get a PEGI 12 score and video game with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) be ranked PEGI 18.
Fortnite, which uses a range of different paid-for passes, is currently ranked PEGI 12.
Games with "play-by-appointment" style mechanisms such as day-to-day missions will get a PEGI 7 rating - however if the systems "punish players for not returning", such by losing material, they will become PEGI 12.
Games lacking any method for users to report or block players online will get a PEGI 18 rating.
Freelance computer game reporter Vic Hood stated while the brand-new ratings were "favorable", it was difficult to see what difference they would make unless parents likewise took them seriously.
"In truth, it will mainly be down to parents to educate themselves on why these modifications have actually been generated and choose for themselves if they deem the games (and their loot box mechanics) suitable for their kid," she stated.