European consumer authorities have opened 11 coordinated actions against 10 video game companies over how they sell and price in-game virtual currencies, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
The cases are being handled through the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, which brings together national enforcement bodies and is coordinated by the Commission. In a joint statement, the network named Activision Blizzard UK, Crytek, InnoGames, King.com, Mojang, Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft EMEA.
Games named in the actions
The 11 games covered are Diablo Immortal, Call of Duty Mobile, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Forge of Empires, Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft, Mech Arena, Gardenscapes, Valorant, Clash of Clans and For Honor.
According to the Commission, the titles were selected because of their broad reach, availability across devices and range of age ratings.
Pricing and purchase design are at the center of the review
The actions follow key principles published by the network in March 2025. Those principles say the real-world price of in-game items and virtual currency must be displayed prominently. They also say traders should not mix several currencies or require repeated exchanges in ways that obscure cost, and players should not be pushed into buying more currency than a given item requires.
Among the practices singled out are bundles deliberately set at odds with item prices, leaving players with stranded balances they cannot fully use.
The principles also state that players keep a 14-day right of withdrawal, including for virtual currency they bought but have not spent. Contract terms that give companies the unilateral right to change the value of in-game currency, or to close accounts without giving players a way to contest the decision, are flagged as unfair.
Children and high spenders receive special scrutiny
Under the framework, children are treated as always vulnerable. Any game that is not aimed exclusively at adults should expect a significant share of under-18 players, the principles say.
High spenders are also classed as a vulnerable group. The text says so-called whales 「are likely to struggle with impulse control or gambling disorders」, which means games built around them face a stricter fairness test.
Cryptocurrencies are excluded from the scope
A footnote in the EU text excludes cryptocurrencies from the regime. That exclusion covers cryptocurrencies and similar digital currencies that work as an alternative form of payment using encryption, as well as virtual currencies defined in the EU’s fifth anti-money laundering directive.
Currencies that can only be earned through gameplay, and are never sold, are excluded as well. The rules are aimed at currencies bought with real money inside closed game economies.
The review goes beyond headline pricing issues
The network said it is also paying particular attention to variable reward systems such as loot boxes, especially where they are aimed at children or available to them.
Dark patterns, aggressive commercial practices and direct exhortations of children to buy are also part of the review, and EU law already prohibits those practices. Misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity claims are among the techniques identified in the statement.
In the Activision Blizzard case, the network is also examining data collection, addictive design, default parental controls and account blocking.
EU says many companies made no substantive changes after industry talks
The network said it opened a dialogue with industry bodies last year and held workshops in June and September 2025. Since then, it has found indications that a high number of companies made no substantive changes to their games as a result of either the published guidance or years of discussions.
Self-regulatory systems such as PEGI have produced some improvements, the statement said, but they often do not address the core of the harmful practices.