European game rating agency PEGI has begun assigning higher age ratings to games containing "paid random items," a policy change that has seen titles rated as low as PEGI 3 jump to PEGI 16. This updated approach now considers loot boxes and other forms of randomized in-game purchases as a significant interactive risk.
Connor Hindle, policy manager for the UK's Games Rating Authority, announced the change, noting that since June, newly submitted games have been assessed against expanded PEGI criteria. The Games Rating Authority is now applying these updated criteria to existing digital products. This shift reflects a broader understanding of how games can pose risks beyond traditional concerns of violence or sex.
PEGI's new "interactive risk categories" specifically address purchases of in-game content, paid random items, communication features, and mechanics that encourage continued play. As a result of these changes, any game featuring loot boxes is now automatically rated PEGI 16. This has led to notable rating increases, such as EA Sports FC 27 being rated PEGI 16, a significant jump from its predecessors like EA Sports FC 25, which maintained a PEGI 3 rating with no rating issues. The PEGI rating for FC 27 cites various purchase options, including FC points, season passes, and player packs, as the reason for the higher classification.
In contrast, North America's ESRB has indicated it will not adopt similar measures, stating that incorporating non-content-related features into its rating system could confuse parents. The ESRB has rated EA Sports FC 27 as E (Everyone), with a note indicating the presence of user interactions and in-game purchases.