EU consumer authorities called out nine game makers over premium currency traps

On September 30, 2026 the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, coordinated by the European Commission, opened nine EU-level coordinated actions against Crytek, InnoGames, King, Mojang, Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft EMEA. The companies are suspected of commercial practices that may breach EU consumer law in nine games — Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Forge of Empires, For Honor, Gardenscapes, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Mech Arena, Minecraft and Valorant — over how they sell in-game virtual currency.

The regulators' demands target the gap between money spent and value understood: show the real-money price of currency purchases, stop practices that obscure true costs, stop forcing players to buy more currency than they need (the 800-gem pack for a 1,000-gem item), honour withdrawal and refund rights, and protect children. The action builds on the Key Principles the network — led by the Dutch ACM and the Norwegian Consumer Authority — adopted in March 2025, after BEUC raised concerns.

This is not a fine or a ban: the CPC Network has opened a dialogue with each company, and failure to address the concerns may lead to enforcement measures by national authorities. It follows an earlier action against Microsoft and Activision Blizzard over Call of Duty Mobile and Diablo Immortal, and the industry has pushed back while the network issued a Joint Statement on stronger consumer protection in video games.

No fines yet: nine publishers must answer concerns that currency sales hide real prices, force oversize bundles and blur refunds — or face national enforcement.

Premium currencies break the link between real money and in-game prices, so players cannot see what content actually costs.

Currency packs sized to never match item prices force leftover balances and repeat purchases.

Withdrawal and refund rights for currency purchases were unclear, and children are particularly exposed to the pressure to top up.

The industry had a year to act on the March 2025 Key Principles and produced no concrete compliance, moving enforcers from principles to named companies.

Selling a secondary currency lets players lose track of real prices — the same opacity that boosts revenue invites regulators to force the exchange rate into the open.

Dialogue between the CPC Network and each publisher is ongoing; failure to address the concerns may bring national enforcement measures. A separate, broader action against Microsoft and Activision Blizzard continues, and the network's Joint Statement sets a common line for future video-game enforcement across the EU.