Pokémon Go has seen a new PEGI rating as part of a revamp to digital and online game classifications in Europe.
Following changes to the PEGI system first proposed in March, which applies new criteria to digital games to factor in elements such as in-game purchases with random items, Pokémon Go's classification has increased from PEGI 7 to PEGI 16.
The rating - as seen on the Google Play Store - now states Pokémon Go "shares [the player's] location" and features "in-game purchases (includes random items)" - the latter likely pointing to its Egg hatching mechanic. Previously, the PEGI 7 rating was headlined with the advice that it featured "mild violence against fantasy characters", according to a legacy Games Rating Authority listing.
As for other Scopely Explore games, Monster Hunter Now was already PEGI 16 (according to the Wayback Machine) whereas Pikmin Bloom remains PEGI 3. However, Policy Manager Connor Hinde of UK PEGI administrator the Games Rating Authority mentions on LinkedIn that updates "will continue to be rolled out progressively throughout October", so it's possible they could be updated in the weeks to come - assuming they haven't already been reviewed.
It should also be noted this reclassification only applies to Europe's PEGI system, and not other ratings bodies worldwide. Meanwhile, Pokémon Go's PEGI rating only appears on the Google Play Store, as Apple's App Store features its own rating system, listing Pokémon Go as age 9+.
Additionally, while the PEGI ratings system is legally enforceable with physical games, it doesn't not apply to online ones (at least in the UK with the Video Recordings Act), meaning in theory it's more advisory than anything else.
You can read the full proposed list of changes to the PEGI system from back in March - which also mentions elements such as daily quests and login streaks - on the official PEGI website.
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