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 feature loot boxes will soon be given an age rating of 16 throughout Europe, including in the UK, under a host of changes by the European video game scores organisation.
The Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI)'s age scores are shown on games sold in the UK and other nations in Europe to show their viability for kids of different ages.
Loot boxes are an in-game function permitting players to buy random mystery items with real or virtual currency, however current research has discovered they blur the line between gaming and betting.
The brand-new rankings, taking effect from June, could see video games including loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, receive a much greater age rating.
The PEGI system is used in 38 nations to assist consumers and especially moms and dads make informed decisions about the games they buy.
Its ratings of 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 are utilized to show a video game's viability for specific age, rather than difficulty.
The organisation's changes to this system will see video games including "paid random products" 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 "more useful and transparent recommendations" for parents and gamers.
Emily Tofield, president of Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam), stated they were a "step in the best instructions".
But she added a PEGI 18 score must be used retrospectively to existing titles.
Currently the brand-new rankings will only apply to video games launched after June.
"Without using the guidelines to existing video games the policy will do little to secure the children who are currently playing them," Tofield said.
'Gambling-like mechanics'
Despite concerns about loot boxes, no UK legislation regulates how and where they appear in video games.
The UK federal government chose in 2022 not to change the Gambling Act 2005 to include loot boxes, stating no evidence revealed a "causative link" to harms.
But guidance released by trade body Ukie in 2023 stated game companies must limit players under 18 from purchasing loot boxes without adult authorization.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it prohibits and gets rid of advertisements which fail to make the clear whether a game consists of a .
Dr Ruijie Wang, who led a January 2025 research study from Bournemouth University into the damaging threats of gambling on youths, informed the BBC loot boxes were "one of the most studied examples of gambling-like mechanics in games".
"Recognising loot boxes as a risk consider age ratings is a crucial step towards reflecting the truths of contemporary video game style, assisting to offer parents with clearer signals about prospective harms," she stated.
PEGI's new additions will likewise see games with time-limited systems, like a paid fight pass, now get a PEGI 12 score and game with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) be ranked PEGI 18.
Fortnite, which uses a variety of different paid-for passes, is currently ranked PEGI 12.
Games with "play-by-appointment" style systems such as daily missions will get a PEGI 7 score - but if the systems "penalize gamers for not returning", such by losing material, they will end up being PEGI 12.
Games doing not have any method for users to report or obstruct gamers online will receive a PEGI 18 ranking.
Freelance computer game reporter Vic Hood stated while the brand-new scores were "positive", it was tough to see what distinction 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 changes have actually been generated and choose for themselves if they deem the video games (and their loot box mechanics) suitable for their kid," she stated.