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 soon be offered an age rating of 16 throughout Europe, including in the UK, under a host of modifications by the European video game ratings organisation.


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


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


The new rankings, taking result from June, might see games including loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, receive a much greater age rating.


The PEGI system is used in 38 countries to assist consumers and particularly moms and dads make informed decisions about the video games they buy.


Its ratings of 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 are utilized to indicate a video game's suitability for certain age groups, rather than trouble.


The organisation's changes to this system will see video games consisting of "paid random items" branded PEGI 16 by default. It says in some cases this might rise to PEGI 18.


Dirk Bosmans, director of PEGI, said it was "positive" the updates would provide "better and transparent recommendations" for moms and dads and gamers.


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


But she included a PEGI 18 score should be applied retrospectively to existing titles.


Currently the new ratings will just use to games launched after June.


"Without applying the guidelines to present video games the policy will do little to protect the kids who are currently 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 government chose in 2022 not to change the Gambling Act 2005 to consist of loot boxes, saying no proof showed a "causative link" to harms.


But assistance released by trade body Ukie in 2023 stated game companies should limit gamers under 18 from buying loot boxes without parental consent.


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


Dr Ruijie Wang, who led a January 2025 study from Bournemouth University into the damaging dangers of betting on youths, informed the BBC loot boxes were "among the most studied examples of gambling-like mechanics in video games".


"Recognising loot boxes as a danger factor in age scores is an essential action towards reflecting the truths of modern game style, assisting to provide parents with clearer signals about possible damages," she stated.


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


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


Games with "play-by-appointment" style mechanisms such as everyday missions will get a PEGI 7 ranking - 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 block players online will get a PEGI 18 rating.


Freelance computer game journalist Vic Hood said while the new scores were "favorable", it was hard to see what distinction they would make unless parents likewise took them seriously.


"In reality, it will largely be down to parents to inform themselves on why these changes have actually been brought in and choose for themselves if they consider the games (and their loot box mechanics) appropriate for their kid," she stated.