Pan European Game Information

What Pan European Game Information does

Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a Brussels-based, Belgian not-for-profit company (PEGI S.A.) that operates the standardized video game age classification system for Europe. Founded in 2003, PEGI assigns one of five age ratings (PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16, 18) and applies content descriptors covering violence, fear, gambling, drugs, discrimination, in-game purchases, paid random items, horror, and online-interaction risks to video games distributed across 38+ European countries. The system is recognized by EU institutions and national authorities as a model of harmonization in minor protection and consumer transparency.

PEGI's core technology is a classification framework supported by a public ratings database at pegi.info, a mobile app available in 9 languages on Google Play and Apple Store, and integrations with parental control tools across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Google Play. The PEGI Experts Group performs content classification, the PEGI Complaints Board handles reclassification disputes, and the PEGI Enforcement Committee imposes sanctions up to €500,000 for Code of Conduct violations. In March 2026 PEGI expanded its criteria to include interactive risk categories covering loot boxes (defaulted to PEGI 16), unrestricted communication, and incentive-to-play mechanics, effective June 2026.

Revenue is generated through age rating licensing fees paid by video game publishers and developers, who must sign the PEGI Code of Conduct and submit games for classification before European release. As a not-for-profit, PEGI operates under the governance of Video Games Europe with a Management Board, Council (chaired by Beate Våje), and Director (Dirk Bosmans). PEGI serves three constituencies: parents and guardians using ratings to inform purchase decisions, publishers needing standardized compliance across European markets, and retailers bound by the PEGI Retail Code. Over its 20-year history, more than 2,600 companies have signed the Code of Conduct and nearly 40,000 age rating licenses have been issued.

Name

Pan European Game Information

Legal name

PEGI S.A.

Website

https://pegi.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PEGI is the pan-European video game age rating system, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Brussels, classifying games across five age levels for 38+ countries. It serves video game publishers needing standardized compliance, retailers bound by its Retail Code, and parents seeking age-appropriate guidance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Game Content Rating Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accessibility & Compliance Services (A11y Testing, Ratings, Privacy/Regulatory) (MPAFAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Publishing Services Providers (Ratings, Compliance, Certification, Release Ops) (MPAFABAL)

Keywords

• Video game age ratings
• Content classification system
• Parental guidance ratings
• Code of conduct enforcement
• Content descriptors

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Age Rating Licensing Fees: PEGI grants licenses to publishers to use the PEGI Logos and Descriptors on their video game products. Publishers must pay for the classification service and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PEGI (Pan European Game Information) operates a unified pan-European age classification system for video games, assigning standardized age ratings (PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16, 18) and content descriptors across 38+ European countries. Video game publishers and developers submit games for classification and license the PEGI logos and descriptors for use on packaging and digital storefronts, governed by a binding PEGI Code of Conduct with enforcement mechanisms including fines up to €500,000.

Product overview

PEGI (Pan European Game Information) operates a unified age rating system for video games used across 38+ European countries. The core offering is the PEGI Age Rating System, which classifies games into five age categories (PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16, 18) and applies content descriptors covering violence, fear, bad language, sex, gambling, drugs, discrimination, in-game purchases, horror, and paid random items. This system is supported by a public website/database, a mobile application (available on Google Play and Apple Store in 9 languages), and the PEGI Code of Conduct that binds publishers to responsible labeling and advertising practices. The organization also provides parental control guidance resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PEGI Age Rating System Pan-European age classification system assigning standardized age ratings (PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16, 18) and content descriptors to video games across 38+ European countries. Used by video game publishers and developers to obtain ratings for their products before distribution.
• PEGI Mobile App Mobile application available on Google Play and Apple Store allowing parents and gamers to search the PEGI database for game ratings and parental control guidance. Available in 9 languages including English, French, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Swedish.
• PEGI Public Website and Rating Database Public website and online database (pegi.info and rating.pegi.info) that allows users to search for game ratings, view content descriptors, and access parental advice resources. Supports 26+ language translations across European markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% of parents and 73% of players are aware of PEGI age labels
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• USK (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026PEGI cooperated closely with USK, the German age rating authority, during development of new interactive risk category criteria. USK had implemented similar changes in 2023 following an update of the German Youth Protection Act. PEGI Director Dirk Bosmans stated: 'It was incredibly useful to learn from the experiences of our colleagues in Germany.' USK Managing Director Elisabeth Secker noted they found themselves 'once again aligned with PEGI' on addressing online interaction risks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media provides independently produced age and content reviews for video games, films, TV, and other youth-facing media, primarily in the US. It is adjacent in providing consumer-facing rating/review information for parents, though its business model is broader editorial review rather than regulatory classification.

Direct peers

• USK (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle): USK is Germany's independent age-rating body for video games, recognized under the German Youth Protection Act. PEGI partnered closely with USK on the 2026 interactive-risk-criteria expansion. They occupy parallel positions in adjacent jurisdictions.
• ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board): ESRB is the North American age and content rating system for video games, serving US, Canada, and Mexico. It is the closest direct counterpart to PEGI in scope, methodology, and industry funding model — both are industry-managed, multi-issuer frameworks for pre-purchase content disclosure.
• GRAC (Game Rating and Administration Committee): GRAC is South Korea's video game rating body, providing mandatory content descriptors and age classifications for the Korean market. It performs the same pre-purchase gatekeeping role for publishers active in Asia that PEGI does for European releases.
• IARC (International Age Rating Coalition): IARC is a coalition of rating authorities that produces region-specific age and content descriptors (including PEGI, USK, ESRB, ClassInd) for digital storefronts. It is a structural peer to PEGI as both are content-disclosure routing layers used by digital marketplaces.
• CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization): CERO is the Japanese age-rating body for video and computer entertainment, providing pre-purchase content disclosure for the Japanese market. PEGI and CERO act as the two highest-volume national/regional rating systems used by Japanese and European publishers for market entry.

Regional players

• ACB (Australian Classification Board): ACB is Australia's national classification body covering games, films, and publications under the National Classification Code. It performs a similar pre-distribution classification role, but at a national level with a broader content scope than PEGI's video-game focus.
• DJCTQ (Classificação Indicativa): DJCTQ is Brazil's federal age-rating authority for games and audiovisual media. It serves the same gatekeeper role as PEGI but for the Brazilian market, and is connected to IARC routing for cross-border listings.
• MDA / IMDA (Singapore Media Development Authority): IMDA regulates Singapore's media and content classification across games, broadcast, and other digital content. It is a peer in the sense of operating a national pre-publication classification function for video games serving Asian-facing publishers.

Broad incumbents

• BBFC (British Board of Film Classification): BBFC is the UK classification body for films and certain video-content distribution. PEGI historically covered video games separately from BBFC; both operate as long-standing, recognized content-classification authorities within the UK regulatory ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PEGIgames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pegi-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pan European Game Information