PEGI
PEGI, short for Pan-European Game Information, is a European video game content rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe and came into use in April 2003, replacing many national age rating systems with a single European system.
The PEGI system is now used in 38 countries and is based on a code of conduct, a set of rules to which every publisher using the PEGI system is contractually committed. PEGI self-regulation is composed by five age categories and nine content descriptors that advise the suitability of a game for a certain age range based on the game's content. The age rating is not intended to indicate the difficulty of the game or the skill required to play it.
Age ratings
PEGI has six age categories.| Rating | Description |
| The content of games with a PEGI 3 rating is considered suitable for all age groups. The game should not contain any sounds or pictures that are likely to frighten young children. A very mild form of violence is acceptable. No bad language should be heard. | |
| Game content with scenes or sounds that can possibly be frightening to younger children should fall in this category. Very mild forms of violence are acceptable for a game with a PEGI 7 rating. | |
| Video games that show violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy characters or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters would fall in this age category. Sexual innuendo or sexual posturing can be present, while any bad language in this category must be mild. | |
| This rating is applied once the depiction of violence reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. The use of bad language in games with a PEGI 16 rating can be more extreme, while the use of tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs can also be present. | |
| The 18 rating, which indicates content suitable only for adults, is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, or violence towards defenceless characters. The glamorisation of the use of illegal drugs, explicit sexual activity, and gambling should also fall into this age category. | |
| In addition to age ratings, there is a special rating represented by an exclamation point labeled "Parental Guidance Recommended". These contents are available for all ages, but it is recommended that parents supervise activities within the program. |
Content descriptions
In addition to the above ratings, PEGI also uses nine content descriptors:Current
Former
In Portugal, the PEGI 3 and 7 categories were originally aligned with the age ratings of the film classification system – 4 and 6, respectively – to avoid confusion. Finland also used a modified scale, where the PEGI 12 and 16 categories became 11 and 15, respectively. Finland fully adopted PEGI on 1 January 2007, while Portugal fully adopted it on 14 January 2021, and the standard ratings were fully enforced as well in both countries at the respective dates.Rating process
To obtain the ratings for any piece of interactive software, the applicant submits the game with other supporting materials and completes a content declaration, all of which is evaluated by an independent administrator called the Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media. It is based on the Dutch Kijkwijzer system as well.Following the evaluation the applicant will receive a license to use the rating logos. If the applicant disagrees with the rating, they can ask for an explanation or make a complaint to the complaints board. Consumers may also make complaints to this board.
Although PEGI was established by an industry body the ratings are given by a body independent of the industry and the whole system is overseen by a number of different Boards and Committees. There is the PEGI Council, composed mainly by national representatives for PEGI, that recommends adjustments to the code in light of social, legal and technological developments. Members of the PEGI Council are recruited for their skill and experience from among parent/consumer body representatives, child psychologists, media specialists, civil servants, academics and legal advisers versed in the protection of minors in Europe.
There is also a Complaints Board with experts from various European countries. They deal with complaints related to breaches of requirements of the code of conduct or to age rating recommendations. Should a complaint be received from a consumer or publisher regarding a rating given to a game and no satisfactory settlement can be reached by the PEGI administrator through discussion, explanation or negotiation the complainant may formally request the Complaints Board to mediate. Three board members will then convene, hear the complaint and decide on a ruling. Publishers using the PEGI system are bound by the decision of the Complaints Board. Consequently, they are obliged to carry out any corrective actions required and, in cases of non-compliance, are subject to sanctions as laid out by the code.
Global cooperation in IARC
In 2013, PEGI co-founded the International Age Rating Coalition with USK and the ESRB. IARC aims to streamline the rating of digitally distributed games and apps by providing a single online system that produces age ratings for all participating regions. By filling out one questionnaire, a publisher instantaneously receives ratings from PEGI, USK, ESRB, ACB and others.PEGI Online
In 2007, the PEGI Online division of PEGI was formed as an addition to the PEGI system for online games. Goals include giving young people in Europe improved protection against unsuitable online gaming content and educating parents on how to ensure safe online play. This project is supported directly by the European Commission:PEGI Online is based on four principles:
- The PEGI Online Safety Code and Framework Contract which is signed by all participants
- The PEGI Online Logo which will be displayed by holders of a licence
- The website for applicants and for the general public
- An independent administration, advice, and dispute settlement process
Usage
PEGI is the standard age rating system for video games in 38 European countries but products with PEGI labels can be found across the globe alongside other rating systems as a result of import for linguistic reasons. The official status of PEGI ratings varies from country to country, depending on the way national legislation deals with age classification and the protection of minors. In some countries, PEGI is the de facto standard without specific regulation, other countries have officially acknowledged PEGI as the sole system for age ratings, while yet another number of countries have incorporated the PEGI rating system into laws governing the age classification of media, making the labels enforceable in retail.Officially supports PEGI
Other countries
Reception
Portrayals of gambling
Games containing minigames resembling casino games and gambling may be subject to heightened ratings due to "12" being the minimum for the "Gambling" descriptor. A 2016 re-release of Pokémon Red and Blue for Nintendo 3DS received a "12" rating due to its "Game Corner" feature, which includes slot machines that can be played with in-game cash to earn coins redeemable for items. The European release of Pokémon Platinum was modified to remove the slot machines and replace them with non-interactive "game machines". As of 2020, PEGI's policies regarding content that resemble casino games and gambling have gotten stricter, with new games featuring the "Simulated Gambling" content descriptor automatically receiving an "18" rating from that point forward.In 2019, the basketball video game NBA 2K20 received criticism for a trailer, focused on its "MyTeam" mode, which depicted chance-based minigames styled after casino games such as roulette, slots and pachinko. The visuals were considered to be sensitive due to increasing controversy over use of "loot box" mechanics in video games. After receiving an e-mail expressing concern over the trailer, PEGI clarified in response that the "Gambling" descriptor applies only to games that "teach" and "encourage" gambling, although admitting that the trailer's imagery may have been "too close for comfort" for some viewers, and that PEGI did not base its ratings decisions on singular trailers.
Balatro, a roguelike deck-building game, had its PEGI rating changed from 3+ to 18+ shortly after its February 2024 release due to perceived gambling imagery, and was pulled from some online stores. Playstack, the game's publisher, argued that while the game was based on poker and features poker hands, it does not feature or encourage gambling. Balatro was restored to the Nintendo eShop in Europe, Australia and New Zealand on 8 March with the higher 18+ rating. In a Reddit AMA, Balatro developer Localthunk criticised PEGI for re-rating the game after its release, writing "I still believe that the rating is unwarranted, but there is some gray area for interpretation from PEGI and at this point it is what it is. I think the one thing I am most disappointed by is the fact that other games with actual gambling mechanics aren't rated the same way because of their appearance/theme." PEGI reclassified Balatro as well as Luck Be a Landlord, which, Balatro was inspired by, to PEGI 12 in February 2025, saying that the gambling aspects were mitigated by the fantasy nature of gameplay, and for future games, they will devise a more granular approach when considering gambling-like elements in games.