Why is EA FC 27 rated 16? A guide for parents

What PEGI flagged

PEGI's notes on FC 27 go further than the packs:

• Card packs: bought with FC Points (real money), with random contents, and you can buy as many as you like.
• Time-limited shop items: Ultimate Team's store rotates, with no guarantee items come back, which PEGI says can pressure players to buy.
• A premium season pass: rewards you lose if you don't buy and play before the season ends.
• Daily and weekly objectives: optional, but missing them means missing rewards, which PEGI says can pressure players to keep coming back.

The new PEGI rules

PEGI announced on 12 March 2026 that from June it would rate how games make money and keep players hooked, not just their violence and language. Paid random items now mean PEGI 16 by default (sometimes 18), time-limited offers mean PEGI 12, and daily rewards that punish you for missing a day mean PEGI 12. PEGI worked with Germany's rating body, USK, which brought in similar rules in 2023: USK says about 1 in 3 games it applied them to got a higher rating.

Games rated before June 2026 keep their old ratings, so older FC games still say 3 on the box. See every rating in our game age ratings lookup.

If your child plays it: stop the spending

1. EA account: EA teen accounts have a default spending limit of zero. It can only be raised by adding the teen to a parent's Family account in the EA app, so leave it. If you do add them, set the In-game content monthly limit to an amount you choose.
2. The console's spending controls: FC Points bought on a console go through its store, so lock that too. PS5 (the spending limit starts at £0), Xbox (Ask to Buy), Switch (eShop restrictions).
3. Talk about the packs. Our suggestion: open the pack screen together and ask what they think the odds are of getting the player they want. It's a lot easier than explaining it after a £50 bill.

Not sure which settings apply at home? Build one list with our parental controls checklist.

Is it legal for my child to have it?

In the UK, PEGI 12, 16 and 18 ratings are legally enforceable for shops: they can't sell or hire the game to anyone under that age. That only applies to the retailer. It doesn't stop a parent buying it, and nobody is breaking the law by letting their child play it at home.

What age rating is EA FC 27?

PEGI 16. PEGI says it's because the game lets players buy loot boxes: Ultimate Team card packs where you don't know which players you'll get.

Why was FC 25 rated 3 but FC 27 is 16?

PEGI changed its rules. Since June 2026, games with paid random items get a PEGI 16 by default. FC 25 was rated in 2024 under the old rules, when card packs only earned a warning, not a higher age.

Can my 10-year-old still play FC 27?

It's your call at home. The rating is about the card packs, not the football. In the UK, shops can't sell a PEGI 16 game to an under-16, but that doesn't stop an adult buying it for them. If you say yes, set spending to zero.

Can you play FC 27 without buying packs?

Yes. PEGI notes the game can be played without buying anything. The packs, FC Points and premium season pass are all optional.