Italy’s competition authority, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), announced two investigations into Activision Blizzard on 16 January 2026. They concern Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile and examine whether the games’ purchase prompts, virtual currencies and other practices may mislead or pressure players, as well as whether consumer rights are adequately protected. These are allegations under investigation—not a finding that Activision Blizzard broke the law.
Which games and practices are under investigation?
AGCM’s announcement concerns two free-to-play games that offer in-game purchases: Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. The authority says it is examining possible misleading and aggressive commercial practices and possible breaches of consumers’ contractual rights. Its English-language announcement is available from AGCM; the Italian-language release corroborates the account.
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Prompts, rewards and time-limited offers
AGCM says it is looking at interface features that may encourage players to return more often or play longer, including repeated prompts during and outside gameplay, in-app messages and push notifications urging players not to miss rewards, and offers for limited-time items. The authority is investigating whether these practices may push players toward purchases; it has not established that they do.
Virtual currency and spending
The authority also questions whether players can readily understand virtual currency’s real-world value when it is sold in predetermined bundles. AGCM says these mechanisms may contribute to substantial spending that players do not sufficiently understand, including among minors. The announcement does not report a spending total, number of affected players or measured prevalence.
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What other consumer issues does AGCM cite?
Parental controls and play settings
AGCM says default parental-control settings appear to permit in-game purchases, unlimited play time and interaction with other players unless a parent actively changes them. Whether those defaults breach consumer-protection rules is a question for the investigation, not a settled conclusion.
Registration consent and contractual information
The authority is examining the choices presented during account registration, including consent to commercial profiling, and whether players receive clear information about contractual rights such as a cooling-off period.
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- Payments can be split between Battle.net Balance and other preferred payment methods*, allowing you to use up any leftover balance in the process. * Product currency must match Balance Currency. Disabled for some payment methods with long expiration times.
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Account blocking
AGCM is also investigating whether accounts can be blocked without adequate reasons, assistance or an opportunity for the player to respond. It says a block could leave a player losing money spent on digital content. These points describe the authority’s concerns, not findings about individual cases.
What is the status of the investigations?
The verified event is AGCM’s announcement on 16 January 2026, under file references PS13020-PS13039. The authority’s press-release index lists the announcement, but that listing does not establish what happened afterward. The sources cited here do not verify a later decision, so they do not support saying the investigations remain open, have concluded, or resulted in sanctions or commitments.
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- To use your Battle.net Balance, simply select it as your payment method during the purchase process.
- Payments can be split between Battle.net Balance and other preferred payment methods*, allowing you to use up any leftover balance in the process. * Product currency must match Balance Currency. Disabled for some payment methods with long expiration times.
- eGift Cards are delivered active via email or SMS.
How does this differ from AGCM’s earlier Activision case?
AGCM handled a separate case, PS11595, concerning Overwatch and Hearthstone. Decision 28452, adopted on 17 November 2020, accepted commitments and closed that proceeding without establishing an infringement. It is not an outcome in the 2026 investigations. The distinction is important:
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| Proceeding | Games | Procedural status established by the cited source |
|---|---|---|
| PS11595; Decision 28452, 17 November 2020 | Overwatch and Hearthstone | Commitments accepted; case closed without an infringement finding. AGCM decision. |
| PS13020-PS13039; announcement, 16 January 2026 | Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile | AGCM announced investigations; a later disposition is not established by the cited sources. AGCM announcement. |
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