Starting June 1, 2026, the PEGI rating system will change its approach to games containing loot boxes. From now on, such projects will automatically receive an age restriction of no less than 16 years across Europe, including the United Kingdom. This innovation raises an important question for society: can the new rules truly ensure the protection of teenagers and change monetization strategies within the video game industry? The article examines the reasons for updating the ratings, details of the changes, expert opinions, and potential consequences for players, parents, and companies.
Why PEGI is Revising Age Ratings for Games with Loot Boxes
Loot boxes are in-game containers with random contents that can be purchased for real money or virtual currency. The player does not know in advance which item they will receive, making the process similar to a lottery. As the popularity of such mechanics has grown in many popular games, including sports simulators and shooters, concerns among parents, psychologists, and lawmakers have increased. According to studies conducted in Europe and the UK, more than 40% of teenagers have purchased loot boxes at least once, and the mechanics themselves are increasingly compared to gambling.
The results of an analysis published in January 2025 by researchers from Bournemouth University showed that interaction with loot boxes can become a risk factor for developing gaming addiction in teenagers. Experts note the blurring of the lines between entertainment and gambling, which contributes to the development of unhealthy behavioral patterns. It is these factors that prompted PEGI to reconsider its evaluation rules and tighten the labeling requirements for games containing elements of random monetization.
New PEGI Rules
According to the update, all projects containing paid random elements (loot boxes) will automatically receive a PEGI 16+ rating. In certain cases, if a game contains NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or does not provide users with the ability to report other players, the rating is raised to PEGI 18+.
Additional changes concern other game mechanics:
- Games with paid battle passes now receive a 12+ rating.
- Systems with daily tasks that do not punish for skipping receive a 7+ rating, and if punishment is provided for skipping — 12+.
- All projects that do not allow blocking or reporting other users are labeled exclusively as PEGI 18+.
- The new measures apply only to new releases released after June 1, 2026.
These measures are aimed at providing more transparent information to parents and buyers about potential risks associated with in-game purchases.
How the New Ratings Will Affect the Industry and Parents
Famous projects such as EA Sports FC, Fortnite, and many other popular games with microtransactions fall under the new requirements. For example, Fortnite already features several types of paid passes, and in FIFA (now EA Sports FC) loot boxes with random football players are widely used. The new age restrictions may significantly affect teenagers’ access to such games, as stores and platforms will be required to take PEGI labeling into account when selling.
For parents, these changes mean the emergence of clearer guidelines when choosing games for their children. Now, the PEGI label reflects not only content related to violence or explicit language but also mechanics related to gambling and randomness. Publishers, for their part, are obliged to inform users about the presence of such elements and implement parental control systems if the game is aimed at a wide audience.
Experts believe that parents need to be more responsible regarding what their children play. However, in practice, they not only fail to do this, but also set a harmful example for their children. The fact is that parents themselves are increasingly interested in iGaming entertainment. This has become especially noticeable since the start of the pandemic and after no deposit casino bonuses upon registration began to be introduced by many well-known brands. Many people began to perceive online gambling as video games. They often make online transactions and do not hide this from their children. In this way, they set an example of risky gaming behavior for their children, and this problem needs to be addressed.
Expert and Public Organization Opinions
PEGI head Dirk Bosmans claims that the new rules will make recommendations for parents and players more transparent and useful. Representatives of the Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust call the update “an important step in the right direction,” but urge that the restrictions apply not only to new releases, but also to already released projects. In their opinion, many children continue to play old games with loot boxes, and the lack of retrospective application calls into question the effectiveness of the reform.
Gaming addiction researcher Dr. Ruiji Wan (Bournemouth University) notes that recognizing loot boxes as a risk factor at the age rating level reflects modern challenges in game design. Experts also emphasize that a significant part of the responsibility for children’s safety falls on parents, who must independently understand the new signs and restrictions in order to make informed decisions.
Problematic Issues and Unresolved Questions
Despite the update of the rating system, the UK and most European countries lack specific legislation regulating loot boxes and their distribution. In 2022, the British government refused to recognize loot boxes as a form of gambling, citing insufficient evidence. As a result, in practice, restricting minors’ access to such mechanics is ensured only through recommendations and company self-regulation.
One of the key problems remains the fact that the new PEGI rules do not apply to already released games, where loot boxes have long been introduced and are actively used. This creates a gap in protection: according to analysts, up to 60% of teenagers continue to play projects with such mechanics even after the introduction of the new standards. In some countries, such as Belgium and the Netherlands, stricter laws are already in place, completely prohibiting the sale of loot boxes to children, which could serve as a benchmark for Europe as a whole.
Thus, the question of the effectiveness of the new age ratings remains open. In the future, additional initiatives and new studies may emerge, which will help determine the real impact of the changes on the safety of teenagers and the structure of the gaming industry.
Robert Griffith is a content and essay writer. He is collaborating with local magazines and newspapers. Robert is interested in topics such as marketing and history.
