EA Sports FC 27 Gets PEGI 16 While FC 25 Stays at PEGI 3
PEGI cites paid random items in FC 27, while the ESRB rates it E with notices for in-game purchases and user interactions.
EA Sports FC 27 carries a PEGI 16 rating in Europe because players can buy loot boxes, while FC 25 remains PEGI 3 even though PEGI also identifies paid random items in the older game.
PEGI’s expanded interactive-risk criteria are behind the change. The agency added the criteria in March, and new game submissions have been assessed under them since June. In a LinkedIn update, Games Rating Authority policy manager Connor Hinde said PEGI has begun applying the revised standards to selected existing digital games. The rollout is scheduled to continue through the end of October.
Under the revised rule, existing digital-only games rated PEGI 3, 7 or 12 that offer paid random items, such as loot boxes, receive a PEGI 16 rating. Games identified so far include EA Sports FC titles, Pokémon GO, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, Mario Kart Tour and Zenless Zone Zero. PEGI 16 means a game cannot legally be sold to anyone aged 15 or younger in the UK and other European countries that have incorporated PEGI ratings into law.
FC 27’s PEGI entry cites the ability to buy loot boxes. It lists FC Points, a premium season pass and player packs among the purchase options. The packs contain randomly selected items, so buyers do not know what they will receive in advance. PEGI also flags time-limited store items and season rewards, while noting that the game can be played without buying them. FC 25’s rating remains PEGI 3 despite PEGI identifying paid random items in that game.
Paid random items are one part of PEGI’s revised criteria. Time-limited or quantity-limited offers carry a minimum PEGI 12 rating, while games with NFTs or blockchain-related systems receive PEGI 18. Rewards for returning to a game, such as daily quests, mean a minimum PEGI 7 rating. Games that penalize players for not returning receive at least PEGI 12. Unrestricted online communication without tools to block or report other players carries PEGI 18.
PEGI says the changes bring its standards closer to those of Germany’s USK, which made similar changes in 2023 after an update to the German Youth Protection Act.
In North America, the ESRB rates FC 27 E for Everyone, with notices for user interactions and in-game purchases.
Should paid random player packs affect a game’s age rating? With PEGI’s rollout continuing through October, follow the ratings changes on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
EA Sports FC 27
Developed by EA Vancouver
Welcome to The World’s Game in EA Sports FC 27. Step into The Grounds to experience a football playground where the streets meet the stadium, and feel greater control in every mode as community-driven innovations deliver more true-to-football gameplay.
- Genre Simulator, Sport
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Perspective Third person, Bird view / Isometric
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release September 25, 2026
- Publisher EA Sports
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Age Rating
