PEGI: What the New Age Classification Criteria for Video Games Really Change

Can a game previously rated as suitable for all ages suddenly become off-limits to anyone under 16, without a single violent scene being added? That's exactly what happened with the reform of the PEGI system, which went into effect in June 2026: it's no longer just violence or sexual content that counts, but how a game pushes players to spend money or come back every day.

Four new criteria, far beyond on-screen violence alone

The European video game age classification system traditionally assessed violence, fear, crude language, or sexual content. The 2026 reform adds four entirely new criteria, focused on a game's commercial and social mechanics:

• Time- or quantity-limited purchases that create a sense of urgency: minimum rating of PEGI 12.
• Paid random purchases (loot boxes, card packs): PEGI 16, or even PEGI 18 for mechanics comparable to social casino gambling.
• Daily return mechanics: PEGI 7 for simple daily quests with no consequences, PEGI 12 if a player's absence results in a loss of progress or content.
• Unmoderated online communication with other players, without any blocking or reporting tools: PEGI 18.

A special case was also settled: games featuring cryptocurrencies or NFTs are now automatically rated PEGI 18, regardless of the rest of their content.

Familiar games reclassified overnight

In practice, titles that have been fixtures in households for years are changing labels. EA FC 27, the soccer game previously rated suitable from age 3, is now rated PEGI 16 because of its random card-purchase mechanics. In Germany, where a comparable set of criteria has been applied by the equivalent body (the USK) since 2023, about 30% of the games reviewed had their criteria reassessed, with the age rating raised in one case out of three. France and the rest of Europe could see a similar proportion in the coming months, as existing catalogs are reviewed.

For families, the main change is mostly a matter of vigilance at the time of purchase or download: a PEGI rating that seemed settled long ago on a game may have been revised without the physical packaging, sometimes older, reflecting it.

Why this tightening now

This change responds to mounting pressure from family associations and consumer protection authorities, who criticized the old criteria for looking only at a game's narrative content without accounting for its economic mechanics—mechanics nonetheless capable of drawing very young players into repeated spending. The issue isn't new: other public health measures around video games have emerged recently, such as France's national health insurance system (l'Assurance Maladie) covering Poppins, the first therapeutic video game for children with dyslexia, which shows that video games are now viewed by public authorities as much as a health and protection issue as a simple pastime.

The timing is not neutral either: the reform takes effect as the release calendar remains particularly packed with headlines this October, and as the industry shows remarkably good health, as confirmed by the record attendance at Gamescom 2026 despite a slowing German market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will all games already released be re-reviewed?

Yes, but gradually: the new criteria apply first to new games and major updates, with existing catalogs reassessed over time rather than all at once.

Is a game with loot boxes automatically off-limits to children?

Not necessarily off-limits, but it will receive at least a PEGI 16 rating, and PEGI 18 if the mechanic resembles social casino gambling; the presence of loot boxes doesn't always fully exclude minors, but it clearly raises the age threshold.

Are all games with cryptocurrencies or NFTs rated PEGI 18?

Yes, this is now an automatic case provided for by the reform, regardless of the rest of the game's content.

Sources

• PEGI — official announcement of the expanded classification criteria
• RTS — video game age rating criteria are tightening
• SIEA / PlaySmart — call for vigilance from video game event organizers

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy