Overview
- From June 2026, newly submitted games will be rated using four “interactive risk” criteria covering in‑game purchases, paid random items, return‑to‑play mechanics, and communication features, with the first classifications expected to surface publicly later in the summer around Gamescom.
- Default outcomes include PEGI 16 for paid random items such as loot boxes or gacha (rising to 18 in some cases), PEGI 12 for time‑ or quantity‑limited purchases, PEGI 7 for play‑by‑appointment systems that only reward returns (escalating to 12 if players are penalized for not returning), and PEGI 18 for entirely unrestricted communication.
- Games linking purchases to NFTs or blockchain mechanisms will receive PEGI 18, and titles with no ability to block or report chat will also be classified PEGI 18 to flag unmoderated interactions.
- The policy is not retroactive, so existing live‑service games keep their current ratings, a limitation critics say reduces immediate child‑protection impact despite the stricter framework.
- PEGI describes a mitigation path as experimental — for example, default‑off spending controls could lower ratings — and industry impact is expected, with outlets predicting EA Sports FC entries could move from PEGI 3 to PEGI 16 unless loot boxes are removed.