European age-ratings body PEGI begins raising age-limit of loot box games, like EA Sports FC, to 16

PEGI, Europe’s video game rating board, has begun enforcing stricter age ratings for games featuring loot boxes and other “paid random items.” Starting in October, affected games are being re-rated to PEGI 16—some rising from as low as PEGI 3. The changes apply to both newly submitted games (assessed since June under expanded criteria) and selected existing digital titles.

The Games Rating Authority, which administers PEGI in the UK, announced the policy through Connor Hinde, its policy manager. The update reflects PEGI’s expanded rating framework designed to address “interactive risks,” specifically gambling-like mechanics present in loot box systems. EA Sports FC 27 exemplifies the impact, having been re-rated from a lower classification to PEGI 16 due to its paid random item mechanics.

This European regulatory shift contrasts sharply with North American standards, where the ESRB continues to rate equivalent games at E for Everyone, highlighting the divergence between rating bodies’ approaches to monetisation mechanics.

The age rating increase aims to provide clearer guidance to parents and guardians about games containing gambling-adjacent mechanics. Though the PEGI 16 classification alone cannot prevent younger players from purchasing or accessing these games, it serves as an explicit warning about their monetisation models. PEGI is expected to continue applying these updated criteria throughout October and beyond.

European age-ratings body PEGI begins raising age-limit of loot box games, like EA Sports FC, to 16

Sources