Minecraft, Candy Crush Among 11 Games in EU Virtual Currency Crackdown - Decrypt

In brief

• EU consumer authorities have opened coordinated actions against nine games companies over how they sell in-game currencies.
• The guidelines require real-world prices to be shown and a 14-day right of withdrawal, including on unused currency.
• Cryptocurrencies are carved out of the principles entirely.

European consumer authorities have opened eleven coordinated actions against ten video games companies over the way they sell and price in-game virtual currencies, the European Commission said Wednesday.

The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, which groups national enforcement bodies and is coordinated by the Commission, 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 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, picked for their broad reach, availability across devices and range of age ratings.

The actions follow key principles the network published in March 2025. Those say the real-world price of in-game items and currency must be shown prominently, that traders should not mix several currencies or require repeated exchanges in ways that obscure cost, and that players should not be pushed 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 also keep a 14-day right of withdrawal, the principles say, including for virtual currency they have bought 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.

Children are treated as always vulnerable, and any game not aimed exclusively at adults should expect a significant share of under-18 players. It also classes high spenders as a vulnerable group, saying so-called whales "are likely to struggle with impulse control or gambling disorders" and that games built around them face a stricter fairness test.

Crypto sits outside all of it. A footnote 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. Currencies that can only be earned through play, and never bought, are excluded too. The regime is aimed squarely at currencies bought with real money inside closed game economies.

The actions also reach beyond pricing. The network said it is giving particular attention to variable reward systems such as loot boxes, especially where they are aimed at or available to children, alongside dark patterns, aggressive commercial practices and direct exhortation of children to buy, which EU law already prohibits. Misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity claims are named 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, holding workshops in June and September 2025. It has since found indications that a high number of companies made no substantive changes to their games as a result, either of the published guidance or of years of talks. Self-regulation schemes such as PEGI have brought some improvements, it said, but often fail to address the core of the harmful practices.

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