The latest set of changes coming to the Pan-European Games Information (PEGI) rating system will impact how games that feature loot boxes, microtransactions, and NFTs will be rated going forward.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, games that have loot boxes or similar random items, like card packs or gacha pulls, will be rated PEGI 16 once these changes take effect in June. If a game has more traditional, yet limited-time microtransactions like a battle pass, it’ll usually be rated PEGI 12. That can be dropped to PEGI 7 if there’s an in-game option to disable spending. The same rating will be given to games that have daily quests or login rewards.
New games will also now be given a PEGI 18 rating instantly if they feature NFTs, are a social casino game, or have communication features with reporting systems or community standards. These are all sweeping, online-gaming focused changes to the PEGI rating system that are much more intense than the in-game purchases content descriptor that it previously used.
As for pushback from the video game industry, PEGI Director Dirk Bosmans is expecting it, but tells GamesIndustry.biz that “I would also ask them to read the room, and see where we are these days in terms of regulatory pressure on the one hand, responsibilities [of] the industry on the other hand, and how to move forward in between those.”
No changes are currently expected for the ESRB rating system, which is what’s used in the United States. These PEGI changes will take effect in June of this year.