EU Slaps 11 Games With Virtual Currency Crackdown — Crypto Stays on the Sidelines 🎮

European consumer authorities opened eleven coordinated enforcement actions against ten video games companies on Wednesday over how they sell and price in-game virtual currencies, the European Commission announced. The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, coordinated by the Commission and grouping national enforcement bodies, named Activision Blizzard UK, Crytek, InnoGames, King.com, Mojang, Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft EMEA in a joint statement. The targeted titles 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, selected for their broad reach, cross-device availability and range of age ratings.

The actions follow key principles the network published in March 2025. Those principles require the real-world price of in-game items and currency to be displayed prominently, prohibit traders from mixing several currencies or forcing repeated exchanges that obscure cost, and bar designs that push players into buying more currency than an item needs. Bundles that deliberately mismatch item prices, leaving players with a stranded balance, are among the practices to avoid. Players retain a 14-day right of withdrawal, including for virtual currency purchased but not spent. Contract terms granting companies the unilateral right to change the value of in-game currency, or to close accounts without the possibility of contesting it, are flagged as unfair.

The network said it is also paying particular attention to variable reward systems such as loot boxes, and treats children as always vulnerable, meaning any game not aimed exclusively at adults should expect a significant share of under-18 players. It additionally classes high spenders, often called whales, as a vulnerable group, stating that such users "are likely to struggle with impulse control or gambling disorders" and that games built around them face a stricter fairness test. A footnote in the framework excludes cryptocurrencies and similar digital currencies that work as an alternative form of payment using encryption, along with virtual currencies as defined in the EU's fifth anti-money laundering directive, and also excludes currencies that can only be earned through play and never purchased, placing the regime squarely on currencies bought with real money inside closed game economies.