Games With Loot Boxes To Get Minimum 16 Age Rating Throughout Europe

13 March 2026
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Laura CressTechnology reporter


Games which feature loot boxes will soon be provided an age score of 16 across Europe, including in the UK, under a host of changes by the European computer game rankings organisation.


The Information body (PEGI)'s age scores are shown on video games sold in the UK and other nations in Europe to indicate their suitability for kids of various ages.


Loot boxes are an in-game function enabling gamers to purchase random secret products with genuine or virtual currency, however recent research study has actually found they blur the line between video gaming and betting.


The brand-new scores, taking effect from June, might see video games consisting of loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, get a much greater age ranking.


The PEGI system is utilized in 38 countries to assist customers and especially parents make notified choices about the video games they purchase.


Its rankings of 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 are used to show a game's suitability for specific age groups, instead of trouble.


The organisation's changes to this system will see video games including "paid random items" branded PEGI 16 by default. It says in many cases this could increase to PEGI 18.


Dirk Bosmans, director of PEGI, stated it was "positive" the updates would offer "more helpful and transparent suggestions" for moms and dads and players.


Emily Tofield, chief executive of Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam), stated they were a "action in the best instructions".


But she added a PEGI 18 rating must be used retrospectively to existing titles.


Currently the brand-new scores will only apply to video games launched after June.


"Without applying the rules to existing video games the policy will do little to secure the kids who are currently 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 federal government decided in 2022 not to change the Gambling Act 2005 to consist of loot boxes, stating no evidence showed a "causative link" to harms.


But guidance released by trade body Ukie in 2023 stated video game business should limit gamers under 18 from purchasing loot boxes without parental consent.


The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) states it prohibits and eliminates ads which fail to make the clear whether a game consists of a loot box.


Dr Ruijie Wang, who led a January 2025 research study from Bournemouth University into the hazardous threats of betting on young individuals, informed the BBC loot boxes were "one of the most studied examples of gambling-like mechanics in games".


"Recognising loot boxes as a danger consider age ratings is a crucial action towards showing the realities of modern-day video game design, assisting to offer moms and dads with clearer signals about potential harms," she stated.


PEGI's new additions will likewise see games with time-limited systems, like a paid battle pass, now get a PEGI 12 ranking and game with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) be ranked PEGI 18.


Fortnite, which uses a series of various paid-for passes, is currently rated PEGI 12.


Games with "play-by-appointment" style systems such as daily missions will get a PEGI 7 score - but if the mechanisms "penalize players for not returning", such by losing content, they will become PEGI 12.


Games lacking any method for users to report or block gamers online will get a PEGI 18 ranking.


Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said while the new rankings were "favorable", it was difficult to see what distinction they would make unless moms and dads likewise took them seriously.


"In truth, it will largely be down to moms and dads to educate themselves on why these changes have been generated and choose on their own if they consider the video games (and their loot box mechanics) ideal for their child," she stated.