The European Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has officially launched 11 coordinated legal actions against 10 video game companies. The CPC is directly targeting how studios price and sell virtual currencies within their games.
The regulator’s target list features major entities across the digital entertainment industry. The 10 companies targeted include Activision Blizzard UK, Crytek, InnoGames, King.com, Mojang, Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell, and Ubisoft EMEA. The investigation targets widely accessible cross-platform titles, including 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 CPC selected these games based on their market reach and broad age rating demographics.
Trapped Balances and Whale Protection
Regulators are demanding transparency regarding in-game economic structures. The CPC has established that publishers must prominently display the real-money prices of items and virtual currencies. It also prohibits merchants from obscuring true costs through multiple currency layers or repeated exchanges.
Players must not be forced to purchase more virtual coins than they need for an item. The CPC highlighted currency bundling tactics intentionally mismatched with item prices, which leave trapped balances in user accounts - a practice developers are expected to avoid. General consumer rights also apply: players retain a 14-day right of withdrawal, including for purchased virtual currencies that remain unspent.
The CPC’s protection rules classify children as an inherently vulnerable group. Games without an adult-only rating must expect a significant portion of their player base to be under 18. Furthermore, high spenders, or whales, are now newly classified as a vulnerable group. The CPC considers whales likely to experience impulse control issues or gambling disorders.
The regulatory probe delves deeper into certain companies. Specifically for Activision Blizzard, the CPC has expanded the scope of its investigation into data collection, addictive design, default parental controls, and account suspensions.
Crypto Asset Exemption
Amid the tightening of in-game currency regulations, blockchain assets remain outside this new oversight. CPC rules exempt crypto and digital currencies that operate as alternative payment methods. A similar exemption applies to virtual currencies that can only be earned through gameplay with no option to purchase them.
Patience Runs Out
Europe’s legal action comes after the industry ignored previous guidelines. The CPC Network found indications that many companies failed to make substantive changes to their systems, despite the European Commission issuing guidelines in March 2025 and hosting workshops in June and September 2025.
The grace period for studios has now closed, leaving them facing direct legal consequences regarding consumer protection compliance. Reported by Decrypt.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
