EU in-game currency crackdown: 9 game firms targeted, warned

European consumer authorities launched an EU in-game currency action against nine video game companies Wednesday, Sept. 30, asking them to change how they price and sell virtual currencies in games including “Minecraft,” “Candy Crush Saga,” “Clash of Clans” and “Valorant.” The coordinated action by the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, backed by the European Commission, also covers Activision Blizzard in a separate track, according to Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which is coordinating it.

Which companies and games face the EU in-game currency action

The CCPC named these companies and games:

• Crytek (“Hunt: Showdown 1896”)
• InnoGames (“Forge of Empires”)
• King (“Candy Crush Saga”)
• Mojang (“Minecraft”)
• Plarium (“Mech Arena”)
• PLR Worldwide Sales (“Gardenscapes”)
• Riot Games (“Valorant”)
• Supercell (“Clash of Clans”)
• Ubisoft (“For Honor”)

Activision Blizzard UK is being engaged separately over different concerns tied to “Diablo Immortal” and “Call of Duty,” the CCPC said. Some early reports, including IGN’s, listed only five of the companies.

What regulators want changed

The EU in-game currency action builds on the CPC Network’s Key Principles on in-game virtual currencies, published in March 2025. Those principles arrived alongside the network’s first gaming case, against “Star Stable Online” maker Star Stable Entertainment, which was given one month to respond and propose fixes, according to Norway’s Consumer Authority. Regulators found signs that a “high number of video game companies” had not made substantive changes after that guidance or years of talks with the industry, IGN reported.

The push traces back to a September 2024 complaint from BEUC, the European consumer organization, which accused publishers including Mojang, Supercell and Ubisoft of using virtual currencies to hide the real cost of in-game items, Euronews reported. “Gamers shouldn’t need to rely on a calculator anytime they want to make an informed decision on how much they want to spend,” BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna said at the time.

For the EU in-game currency review, the CCPC listed seven areas of focus:

• Clear, transparent prices for virtual currency and in-game items
• No hidden costs that blur what players actually spend
• No pressure tactics that push players to buy more currency than they need
• Clear information before a purchase
• The right to withdraw within 14 days
• Fair contract terms
• Protections for children and other vulnerable consumers

In practice, regulators want games to show the real-money price of items bought with virtual coins and to stop using multiple currencies or forced exchanges that hide costs, according to IGN. The CPC statement also warned that some games “directly exhort children to make purchases, despite an explicit prohibition in EU consumer protection law.”

What officials said

“Roughly half of Europeans play video games,” Michael McGrath, the EU commissioner for consumer protection, said in a statement. “The industry must ensure that its games do not expose players — especially children — to harmful or unfair practices. The game must be fair, and the rules must be respected. National authorities, with the support of the Commission, will make sure they are enforced.”

Geoffrey Gray, a member of Ireland’s CCPC, said consumers “should be able to enjoy these games without being misled about costs, pressured into purchases, or unclear about their rights.”

What happens next

The EU in-game currency action asks the companies to bring their practices in line with EU consumer law. It is not a finding that any company broke the law, and no fines have been announced. If concerns are not resolved, national consumer authorities can take further enforcement steps, McGrath said. The Brussels Times reported that the review also touches on personal data collection and parental controls.

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