EU consumer authorities open 11 actions against 10 video game companies

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 Wednesday. The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network groups national enforcement bodies and is coordinated by the Commission. The network named Activision Blizzard UK, Crytek, InnoGames, King.com and Mojang among the companies. It also named Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft EMEA. The games 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. The network selected the games for their broad reach, availability across devices and range of age ratings. The actions follow principles the network published in March 2025. The principles say traders must prominently show the real-world price of in-game items and currency. Traders should not use multiple currencies or repeated exchanges to obscure costs, the principles say. The principles also warn against pushing players to buy more currency than an item requires or leaving them with unused balances through mismatched bundle prices. The principles say players retain a 14-day right of withdrawal, including for virtual currency they bought but have not spent. They flag as unfair contract terms allowing companies to change a currency's value unilaterally or close accounts without a way to contest the decision. The principles treat children as always vulnerable and say games not exclusively for adults should expect significant numbers of players under 18. They also classify high spenders as vulnerable and say games built around them face a stricter fairness test. A footnote excludes cryptocurrencies, similar encrypted digital currencies used as alternative payment, and virtual currencies defined in the EU's fifth anti-money laundering directive. Currencies that players can only earn through play are also excluded. The actions focus on currencies bought with real money inside closed game economies. The network is also examining variable reward systems such as loot boxes, particularly when children can access them. It is giving attention to dark patterns, aggressive commercial practices and direct appeals to children to buy, which EU law already prohibits. The network identified misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity claims among the techniques at issue. In the Activision Blizzard case, the network is also examining data collection, addictive design, default parental controls and account blocking. The network opened a dialogue with industry bodies last year and held workshops in June and September 2025. The network said it has since found indications that many companies made no substantive changes to their games following the guidance or years of talks. The network said self-regulation schemes such as PEGI have brought some improvements but often fail to address the core harmful practices.