Europe’s video game age rating organization PEGI has begun applying stricter criteria to selected games that have already been released, are distributed exclusively in digital form, and feature loot boxes or other paid random items. These products, which previously carried a PEGI 3, PEGI 7, or PEGI 12 rating, are being reclassified as PEGI 16.

The higher age rating is accompanied by the descriptor “Paid random items.” It indicates that the game allows players to pay for content whose specific outcome is unknown at the time of purchase. Loot boxes are also included in this category.

Ratings Are Changing for Selected Digital Games

Connor Hinde of the Games Rating Authority announced the start of the ratings update on his personal LinkedIn account. The organization administers the PEGI system in the United Kingdom. According to Hinde, the updated criteria are now being applied to selected existing products distributed exclusively in digital form.

The change is not described as an automatic move to the PEGI 16 category for every game featuring microtransactions. The current review covers digital games that have one of the lower PEGI ratings and offer paid random items. It also applies to selected previously released products rather than all of them.

The ratings change process began in October and is expected to continue throughout the month. Publishers and developers with questions or concerns about how the new criteria are being applied are encouraged to contact the PEGI helpdesk.

EA Sports FC and Zenless Zone Zero Have Already Received PEGI 16 Ratings

One of the most prominent examples of the change is the EA Sports FC series. Its games were previously rated PEGI 3, but under the updated assessment, the series now carries a PEGI 16 rating because of paid random items.

The rating has also changed for HoYoverse’s gacha action game Zenless Zone Zero. It has moved from PEGI 12 to PEGI 16. These two cases show that the new criteria can significantly alter a previously assigned age category, even if the game itself has already been available through digital stores for some time.

The source also mentions Monopoly Go, which features randomized sticker packs and boxes. At the time of publication, the game was still listed with a 9+ rating on Apple’s store. No confirmation was provided that its PEGI rating had already changed, so Monopoly Go cannot be included among the confirmed cases of reclassification.

What the PEGI 16 Rating Says About Monetization

The updated labeling makes it clearer to parents and potential players that the assessment covers more than just a game’s traditional content. The age category may also be affected by a monetization system that offers paid random items.

The “Paid random items” descriptor provides important context for the PEGI 16 rating itself. It helps distinguish cases in which the higher rating is specifically connected to paid randomized purchases rather than solely to other content within the game.

The current ratings update is focused on games distributed exclusively in digital form. As a result, the PEGI rating becomes an additional source of information for parents, although supervision of the digital products their children play still largely depends on their own attentiveness.

Expanded Criteria Have Applied to New Games Since June

The review of previously released games is part of a broader update to PEGI’s rating system. Since June, newly submitted games have been assessed under expanded criteria covering additional areas related to interactive risks. In October, this approach also began to be applied to selected existing digital products.

PEGI announced its plans to pay greater attention to modern gaming systems in March. The areas it identified included loot boxes and similar microtransactions, mechanics that may encourage addictive behavior, and unsupervised online communication.

The newly launched reclassification of digital games featuring paid random items is a specific part of the implementation of these expanded criteria. For now, PEGI has announced a review of selected existing products rather than simultaneous rating changes for every game that uses this type of monetization.