European consumer protection authorities have initiated formal enforcement actions against the gaming companies behind major titles, including Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft, and Clash of Clans. The joint initiative—which includes the Dutch Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM)—targets deceptive practices designed to entice players into making extra in-game purchases. Regulators launched nine formal investigations to enforce compliance or impose fines after preliminary discussions with developers failed to deliver satisfactory results.
In-game virtual currencies obscure real-world spending
Regulators criticize developers for forcing players to buy items like upgrades and weapons using proprietary virtual currencies rather than real money:
- Price obscurity: Using fictive currencies makes it difficult for consumers to track actual financial spending in euros.
- Forced surpluses: Developers sell virtual currency bundles in fixed amounts that rarely match item costs, leaving players with leftover currency that encourages further purchases.
Regulators express deep concern over child protection
Consumer watchdogs highlighted severe concerns regarding young players who frequently play these games. According to the ACM, children remain particularly vulnerable to dark patterns because they possess less ability than adults to defend themselves against manipulative purchasing tactics.
ACM urges European Commission to ban virtual currencies in games
The ACM led the preliminary investigation and initial dialogue with the gaming sector over the past year. Individual national authorities where each game developer is legally registered will now conduct the nine formal investigations. Aside from the flagship titles, the probes target Hunt: Showdown 1896, Forge of Empires, Mech Arena, Gardenscapes, Valorant, and For Honor.
Additionally, the ACM is pressing the European Commission to enact a total ban on virtual currencies in video games played by minors, though existing European legislation does not yet allow a blanket prohibition.
@ anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
