In brief: Games that include loot boxes and other live-service elements will no longer be rated for all ages in European countries after June. Despite mounting concerns over how children interact with games and other online content, ratings in the US will not change for the foreseeable future.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns age ratings to video games in the US, recently informed The Game Business that it has no plans to give higher ratings to titles with microtransactions, loot boxes, and other online features. Germany's ratings board began the practice in 2023, with other European countries set to follow in June.
The ESRB and the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system currently include warning labels for games that feature online multiplayer, in-game purchases, and random items for purchase. However, those features do not impact age ratings, so titles that sell random items but don't include objectionable content, such as EA Sports FC 26, are rated E for Everyone and PEGI 3.
However, after adopting stricter standards, Germany's Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) ratings board upgraded EA's popular soccer franchise from USK-0 to USK-12, equivalent to the ESRB's T for Teen rating, primarily due to its in-game purchases and play-by-appointment features. After PEGI begins enforcing its USK-inspired changes in June, EA Sports FC 27 will likely be rated PEGI 16.
If Pokémon Pokopia had launched later this year, it would likely have received a PEGI 7 rather than a PEGI 3 solely due to its play-by-appointment features. PEGI also confirmed plans to review ratings for Genshin Impact and other live-service games that remain popular years after their initial release.
Meanwhile, the ESRB has chosen to keep content ratings and online interactivity information separate, fearing that combining the categories might confuse parents. A spokesperson stated that the current system sufficiently informs parents when games feature loot boxes but do not include objectionable content. However, the ESRB also has no plans to highlight play-by-appointment systems, such as battle passes and daily quests.
PEGI's changes come as governments are increasingly interested in enforcing age verification for multiplayer games and social media. Following its social media ban for under-16s, Australia now requires Grand Theft Auto Online players to verify their ages. PEGI admitted that it is adopting new standards to head off pressure from regulators, claiming that enforcing age verification without parental involvement will not be effective.