Existing digital-only games that include paid random items, such as loot boxes, are being re-rated PEGI 16 if they currently carry a PEGI 3, 7, or 12 rating.
Games Rating Authority policy manager Connor Hinde said in a LinkedIn post that the GRA, which administers PEGI in the UK, started applying the updated criteria to a selection of existing digital games last week.
The new rating is labeled PEGI 16 – Paid random items. It applies whether a game was originally rated through PEGI’s Classic procedure or the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) system.
The changes will continue to roll out progressively through October. The GRA acknowledged that a large number of ratings will change in a short space of time, and directed publishers and developers with questions to the PEGI Helpdesk.
In March, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) said it would not be adopting the age-rating changes announced by Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) as it “could be confusing” for users.