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

13 March 2026
ShareSave


Laura CressTechnology press reporter


Games which include loot boxes will soon be given an age rating of 16 across Europe, including in the UK, under a host of modifications by the European computer game scores organisation.


The Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI)'s age scores are shown on video games sold in the UK and other countries in Europe to indicate their suitability for children of different ages.


Loot boxes are an in-game feature permitting players to purchase random secret items with real or virtual currency, however recent research study has discovered they blur the line in between video gaming and gambling.


The brand-new scores, working from June, could see games containing loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, receive a much higher age score.


The PEGI system is used in 38 countries to help customers and particularly parents make notified choices about the video games they buy.


Its rankings of 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 are utilized to suggest a game's suitability for particular age, instead of difficulty.


The organisation's modifications to this system will see games containing "paid random items" branded PEGI 16 by default. It says in some cases this could rise to PEGI 18.


Dirk Bosmans, director of PEGI, said it was "confident" the updates would offer "better and transparent advice" for parents and gamers.


Emily Tofield, president of Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam), said they were a "step in the best direction".


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


Currently the new scores will just use to video games released after June.


"Without applying the rules to present games the policy will do little to protect the children who are already playing them," Tofield said.


'Gambling-like mechanics'


Despite issues about loot boxes, no UK legislation controls how and where they appear in computer game.


The UK federal 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 assistance released by trade body Ukie in 2023 said video game companies need to limit players under 18 from acquiring loot boxes without parental authorization.


The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it prohibits and removes ads which stop working to make the clear whether or not a video game consists of a loot box.


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


"Recognising loot boxes as a risk consider age rankings is an important step towards reflecting the truths of contemporary video game design, helping to provide parents with clearer signals about possible damages," she said.


PEGI's new additions will also see games with time-limited systems, like a paid fight pass, now get a PEGI 12 rating and video game with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) be rated PEGI 18.


Fortnite, which utilizes a variety of different paid-for passes, is already rated PEGI 12.


Games with "play-by-appointment" design systems such as everyday missions will get a PEGI 7 rating - but if the systems "punish gamers for not returning", such by losing content, they will become PEGI 12.


Games doing not have any way for users to report or obstruct players online will get a PEGI 18 ranking.


Freelance computer game reporter Vic Hood stated while the new scores were "favorable", it was difficult to see what difference they would make unless moms and dads also took them seriously.


"In reality, it will mostly be down to moms and dads to educate themselves on why these modifications have been generated and decide on their own if they deem the video games (and their loot box mechanics) suitable for their kid," she stated.