Marvel Rivals Jumps From PEGI 12 to 16 Over Gacha Mechanics

Marvel Rivals now has a PEGI 16 rating in the UK and Europe, up from its previous 12 rating. According to TheGamer, gambling and gacha mechanics likely caused this shift. This change bumps NetEase’s hero shooter up two age tiers nearly two years after its launch on December 6, 2024.

OpenCritic echoes this sentiment, noting that the rating increased mainly due to the game’s greater reliance on gacha mechanics. This suggests that monetization, rather than combat, drives the rating change. However, the core hero-shooter gameplay remains unchanged.

We haven’t seen any PEGI statement detailing the specific systems responsible for the reclassification. Until PEGI or NetEase releases more information, treat the exact cause as unconfirmed. Nevertheless, it’s clear that randomized, chance-based purchase systems are now under greater scrutiny from age raters, not just from consumer regulators.

Marvel Rivals continues to thrive as a live-service title. At the time of writing, it boasted 29,788 concurrent players, with a 76% positive rating on Steam out of 305,089 reviews. The game keeps evolving, with Season 10.5 introducing an Infinity War mode and new Strange builds, as per our earlier coverage. While a higher age rating won’t instantly change the character roster, it does impact how the game is perceived by younger players and their parents in PEGI regions.

Age ratings are increasingly being used as a content-gating mechanism in the gaming industry. IGN recently reported that new Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn swimwear skins in Fortnite are locked to modes rated 13+. Publishers must now consider their offerings in relation to who can access them.

By The Numbers

Previous PEGI rating	12
New PEGI rating	16
Steam reviews	76% positive (305,089 reviews)
Current Steam players	29,788
Release date	December 6, 2024

Community Pulse

Overall, community sentiment across the 10 signals we tracked appears mostly negative, but the complaints don’t focus on the rating itself. One frustrated Steam reviewer commented: “A week ban for cosmetic mods is crazy. No mention from the devs and a massive ban wave goes out, now we don’t know which, if any, mods are safe to use.” The frustration seems to stem from poor communication and enforcement, which could amplify any backlash regarding monetization.

What To Watch

• PEGI or NetEase clarification: A statement clarifying the exact systems behind the rating would reveal which mechanics regulators consider gambling-adjacent.
• Changes to gacha systems: NetEase might tweak its randomized offerings to lower the rating again or accept PEGI 16 as part of its monetization strategy.
• Player count and review trends: Keep an eye on whether the 76% Steam score and around 30,000 concurrent players hold steady through Season 10.5 and beyond.