The European video game rating system PEGI (Pan European Game Information) is changing in June 2026! PEGI, which is used in 38 European countries, will no longer simply say at what age you can play: soon it will also say with whom, and under what conditions.
This change reflects a reality that has become unavoidable: a video game is not defined only by its content, but is also a social experience.
Note, however, that the PEGI standard is not a legal prohibition, but a clear recommendation to guide players and above all parents.
As a reminder, the current labelling is based on five main age categories: PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18. A simple code, which indicates the level of maturity required depending on the content:
• PEGI 3: content suitable for all, with no violence or shocking elements
• PEGI 7: may contain mildly frightening scenes or very moderate violence
• PEGI 12: more realistic violence, or slightly more mature themes, moderate language
• PEGI 16: more prominent violence or sexuality, drug use or coarse language
• PEGI 18: content intended for adults (extreme violence, explicit sexuality, etc.)
In addition to age, PEGI displays content descriptors: pictograms specifying why a game receives a particular rating (violence, fear, bad language, sex, drugs, discrimination, gambling…).
There is also a specific indicator: “online interactions”. But in the current standard, it remains fairly general: it simply signals that the player can interact with others, without detailing the nature or the risks of these exchanges.
As we can see, today the PEGI standard assesses above all what the game contains when it is released: the images, the sounds, the mechanics planned by the developers. On the other hand, everything that depends on players’ behaviour online (chat, toxicity, created content) is not taken into account in the rating. Drawing in particular on the German USK standard, which has already integrated some of these criteria, this is precisely the limit that PEGI wants to go beyond: moving from an assessment of the game “as it is designed” to a broader view of the real experience, including interactions.
Voice chats, messages, player-created content, toxic behaviour… all elements that are impossible to predict, but very real in online gaming experiences. The new version of PEGI will not change the age bands themselves, but will enrich them with information about these interactions, to better prevent risks, especially for the youngest.
In practice, new descriptors will appear. They will flag the presence of exchanges between players, but also certain game mechanisms. A way of taking into account what happens “off screen” but is nevertheless part of the experience. The elements concerned will include:
• Mechanisms that encourage players to come back regularly (such as daily quests): PEGI 7, or even PEGI 12 if these systems penalise players who do not log back in.
• In-game purchases: PEGI 12, 16 or 18 depending on the type of purchases offered.
• Paid random items (loot boxes): the default rating will be PEGI 16, or even PEGI 18 in some cases.
• Online communication features: games offering completely free communication with no possibility of blocking or reporting may be rated PEGI 18.
This turn marks a change of course. Until now, PEGI assessed a finished product. From now on, it recognises that the player is part of a living ecosystem, where interactions can enrich… or go off the rails.
One key question remains: how do we keep the labelling readable? More information also means more complexity. PEGI is performing a balancing act here: informing more without losing clarity.
One thing is certain: in the age of connected worlds, knowing at what age to play is no longer enough. You also need to know with whom, how and in what environment.
Marie-Noëlle Clément
