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PEGI, Europe’s video game rating body, will require all games containing loot boxes to carry a 16+ age rating starting June 2025. This affects popular titles like EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) that feature “paid random items” where players spend real or virtual currency for mystery rewards. The change applies across Europe including the UK, where PEGI ratings of 16+ are legally enforceable - meaning retailers cannot sell these games to under-16s.

The move comes after years of criticism that loot boxes blur the line between gaming and gambling, particularly targeting children. However, the new ratings only apply to games released after June, leaving existing titles with loot box mechanics unaffected. This has drawn criticism for creating a two-tier system where children can still access current games containing these features. The gaming industry has long resisted stricter regulation of loot boxes, arguing they differ from traditional gambling, while consumer advocates have pushed for stronger protections citing concerns about addiction and financial exploitation of young players.

Sources:

• PEGI to give 16 age rating to UK games with loot boxes
• r/gaming on Reddit: All games with loot boxes in them will be rated minimum PEGI 16, starting this summer | Meaning they can’t legally be sold to children 15 or under in the UK or any other European country which has adopted PEGI ratings into its legislation
• Loot Boxes UK: New Ratings & Why They’re Not Legally Regulated – Archyde
• EA Sports FC to be slapped with 16 age rating due to new loot box rules

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