Minecraft, Candy Crush Among 11 Games in EU Virtual Currency Crackdown
European consumer authorities have launched coordinated actions against ten video game companies over how they sell and price in-game virtual currencies. The targeted games include major titles such as Diablo Immortal, Call of Duty Mobile, Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft, Valorant and For Honor. The enforcement focus is on clearer pricing, including showing real-money costs prominently, avoiding confusing multi-currency systems, and preventing players from being pushed into buying excess currency or ending up with unusable leftover balances. The network also says players should retain a 14-day withdrawal right for unused virtual currency, and it is challenging contract terms seen as unfair, such as unilateral changes to currency value or account closures without appeal. Officials are also reviewing dark patterns, loot boxes, misleading timers, scarcity claims, child-directed sales pressure, and other practices that may exploit vulnerable players, especially children and high spenders. Cryptocurrency-based systems and currencies only earnable through play are excluded.
