Gacha games will now receive PEGI 16 ratings, and honestly it was coming

I would say this update probably won’t come as a huge surprise if you’ve been following the ongoing conversation around loot boxes and gacha mechanics in games. The Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) rating system is introducing new rules that will directly affect how many modern games are classified.

The update focuses on “online interactive risks” like randomized rewards and monetization systems

Starting June 2026, any newly submitted game that contains paid random items such as gacha pulls, card packs, or loot boxes will automatically receive a PEGI 16 rating or higher. Considering how common these systems are across mobile and live-service games today, this could affect a large number of future releases.

So, any game that sells randomized items through systems like gacha pulls, loot boxes, or card packs will now fall under a PEGI 16 rating. If a game leans even further into gambling-style systems, such as social casino mechanics, the rating will go up to PEGI 18.

PEGI is also looking at other systems that have become very common in modern live-service games. For example, games that include limited-time purchases or paid battle passes will receive at least a PEGI 12 rating, especially if rewards disappear once a season ends. Mechanics designed to bring players back every day, like daily quests, login streaks, or scheduled events, will fall under a PEGI 7 rating.

Instead of focusing only on traditional elements like violence or language, the system is now also considering what it calls “online interaction risks”. However, existing games won’t suddenly get re-rated. The new guidelines only apply to titles submitted for classification starting in June.

Labelling gacha under a certain category was a debate for a long time

Just last month, I covered the lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General against Valve, where the company was accused of promoting illegal gambling through loot boxes on Steam. While that case is still ongoing, it once again brought the entire conversation around randomized monetization systems back into the spotlight.

And this debate hasn’t exactly been quiet over the past few years either. Governments, regulators, and consumer groups have repeatedly questioned whether loot boxes and gacha mechanics are too close to gambling, especially when younger players are involved.

When you really break it down, it’s easy to see why the comparison keeps coming up. In many gacha systems, players spend real money for a random outcome, hoping to land a rare character or item with very low odds. That excitement when something valuable drops is exactly the loop these systems are built around.

One thing that’s important to understand is that PEGI isn’t banning gacha or loot boxes entirely. Developers can still use these systems if they want. Will this stop kids from playing? Probably not.

Of course, ratings alone won’t magically stop younger players from accessing these games. But it does change the game for parents, digital storefront filters, and how these games are advertised. It’s a sign that the industry is acknowledging that how a game asks for money is just as important as the content on the screen.

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