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

European consumer authorities, coordinated by the EU's Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, have launched eleven enforcement actions targeting ten video-game companies over the sale and pricing of virtual currencies used inside games. The network named major publishers and platforms including Activision Blizzard UK, Mojang, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft EMEA, and listed eleven high-profile titles ranging from Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga to Valorant and Call of Duty Mobile.

The investigations follow a set of principles the network issued in March 2025. Those principles require that the real-world prices of in-game items and currencies be displayed prominently, prohibit practices that obscure costs by mixing multiple currencies or forcing repeated exchanges, and discourage bundle structures that leave players with stranded balances. The guidance also establishes a 14-day right of withdrawal that applies even to virtual currency bought but not spent.

The network flagged several contractual features and commercial practices as potentially unfair, including clauses that let companies unilaterally change the value of in-game currency or close accounts without recourse. It treats children as automatically vulnerable — asserting that any game not aimed solely at adults should expect a significant under-18 player base — and also identifies high spenders as a vulnerable group, saying so-called "whales" may have impulse-control or gambling-related problems and therefore merit stricter fairness tests.

The enforcement work extends beyond pricing. Authorities are scrutinising variable reward mechanics such as loot boxes, especially where these are accessible to or targeted at children, and are examining dark patterns, aggressive commercial tactics, misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity claims. In the Activision Blizzard case, the network is additionally probing data collection, addictive design, default parental controls and account blocking.

The network said it engaged with industry bodies through workshops in June and September 2025 but found many companies made no substantive changes in response to the guidance or prior discussions. It noted that self-regulatory schemes, including PEGI, have produced some improvements but often do not address the core harmful practices. The published regime explicitly excludes cryptocurrencies and similar encrypted digital currencies, as well as currencies that can only be earned through play and are never bought, focusing enforcement on currencies purchased with real money within closed game economies.