Minecraft, Call Of Duty, And Ubisoft Facing EU Action Over Microtransactions

The EU Takes Aim At Minecraft, Call Of Duty, And More To Protect Gamers' Rights Published Sep 30, 2026, 11:25 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life 3, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com The EU's Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has launched coordinated enforcement actions involving Mojang, Riot Games, King, Supercell, Ubisoft, Crytek, InnoGames, Plarium, and PLR Worldwide Sales Limited over how in-game virtual currencies and items are sold, with particular attention being paid to children and other vulnerable consumers. Outlined in the announcement are seven principles designed to "promote transparency and fairness": "Clear and transparent pricing: show the real-world price of in-game items and currencies that consumers need to buy to play the game. Not to obscure costs: avoid multiple currencies or currency exchanges that make the real price unclear. Not to force unwanted currency purchases: gamers should not feel obliged to buy an excessive amount of virtual currencies to progress or enjoy the game. Provide clear information before the purchase: gamers must have access to information that is easy to understand before purchasing in-game virtual currencies or in-game items. Respect the right to withdraw: gamers should be informed about their right to withdraw from contracts within 14 days, including for unused virtual currency. Use fair and understandable terms: the games' terms and conditions should be fair and clear for the players. Protect vulnerable consumers: companies should ensure that games offer appropriate safeguards to all consumers, including vulnerable users such as children." In a separate statement, regulators said certain business models and design practices can harm consumers. "The CPC Network seeks to foster a vibrant and competitive European video game market that provides a supportive environment for businesses," the statement reads. "At the same time, the CPC Network is committed to ensuring that rights of consumers playing video games are protected, with particular attention to children and other vulnerable consumer groups. The gaming sector reaches millions of consumers across Europe and generates significant revenues. "A broad consensus among academics, consumer advocates, and gamers is that some video game business models and design practices harm consumers, especially vulnerable groups such as children," it continues. "These practices are associated with certain uses of virtual currencies, of loot boxes and deceptive techniques such as misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity claims, among others. Some video games directly exhort children to make purchases, despite an explicit prohibition in EU consumer protection law. Consumers across Europe should be able to play and interact [with] video games without being tricked into spending more money or time on video games than they want." EU Regulators Target Deceptive In-Game Purchases via flags.com The action comes after previous discussions with the video game industry failed to deliver the changes regulators were looking for. The CPC explains that it previously "opened a dialogue" with the industry to ensure these principles were being followed, but that discussions "did not bring satisfactory results." Regulators subsequently identified several high-profile live-service games that "require further assessment": Minecraft, Forge of Empires, Candy Crush Saga, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Mech Arena, Gardenscapes, Valorant, Clash of Clans, and For Honor. A parallel action has also been launched against Activision Blizzard UK Limited "to ensure compliance with EU consumer law" in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. "As part of this action, the CPC Network is examining how in-game virtual currencies are sold, how personal data from gamers are collected, whether games have addictive designs, the standard settings for parental control, direct marketing to children, the display of pre-contractual information, and the blocking of gaming accounts," it explained. For players, this could mean greater scrutiny of some of the practices that make virtual currencies difficult to understand or easy to overspend on. Stores may need to make the real-world cost of an item clearer, rather than making players work out the value through multiple currencies. Games may also face greater scrutiny over bundles that leave players with unusable currency, purchases that encourage players to buy more than they need, and limited-time offers that make spending feel more urgent than it really is. Released November 18, 2011 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Mojang Publisher(s) Mojang Engine LWJGL, PROPRIETARY ENGINE Genre(s) Sandbox, Survival