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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →European consumer-protection authorities are investigating in-game purchasing practices at ten video-game companies. The wider action coordinated through the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network is distinct from an Italian-led inquiry concerning Activision Blizzard UK Limited and other Microsoft group companies. The authorities have raised concerns; the official announcement does not say any company has been found liable or that its games caused gaming addiction.
Which gaming companies are under investigation?
The European Commission announced coordinated consumer-protection actions involving ten companies on 30 September 2026. According to the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), it is leading one of those actions with consumer-protection authorities in Norway and Denmark. That specific inquiry concerns Activision Blizzard UK Limited and other Microsoft group companies. The AGCM describes its inquiry as an effort to determine whether a “widespread infringement” occurred under Article 3(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2394—conduct contrary to EU consumer-protection rules that is likely to harm consumers in at least three member states. AGCM’s announcement lists the ten companies in the coordinated action:
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- Activision Blizzard UK Limited
- Crytek GmbH
- InnoGames GmbH
- King.com Limited
- Mojang AB
- Plarium Europe S.à.r.l.
- PLR Worldwide Sales Limited
- Riot Games Limited
- Supercell Oy
- Ubisoft EMEA SAS
The ten-company list describes the broader EU-coordinated action, not the scope of the Italian-led inquiry. The AGCM identifies Activision Blizzard UK Limited and other Microsoft group companies in that narrower case.
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What practices are authorities examining?
The AGCM says the actions aim to apply the EU Key Principles on In-game Virtual Currencies and promote transparency and fairness, particularly for minors. Its concerns include how players see and understand the cost of spending in games, as well as protections and help when problems arise. These are issues under examination, not findings that a company has broken the law.
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Virtual currencies and bundles
A game may display a price in virtual units—such as platinum, globes or diamonds—even though the player pays euros, directly or through one or more layers of virtual currency. When currency is sold in bundles, players may have to convert between the displayed price and the real-money cost to understand what a purchase represents. The AGCM says this can make it harder to understand and track spending, especially for minors and people at risk of gaming addiction.
Dark patterns and parental controls
“Dark patterns” is a broad term for interface design that can steer people toward a choice, make a purchase easier than declining it, or obscure relevant information. The AGCM has raised concerns about dark patterns and inadequate parental controls in the practices it is examining. The announcement does not specify a final legal assessment of any particular interface or establish that a particular design caused harm.
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Help with blocked accounts
The authority also cites concerns about insufficient help when accounts are blocked. That issue is separate from pricing: it concerns whether players can get adequate assistance when they lose access to an account.
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Have the companies been found to break the law?
No. The AGCM says the inquiry will establish whether a widespread infringement occurred. Its announcement reports concerns and an active investigation; it does not announce a final finding of liability or a penalty. Being named in the coordinated action should not be mistaken for proof that a company has violated consumer-protection law.
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What does the “gaming addiction” concern mean?
The authorities’ wording connects potentially manipulative purchasing practices with risks for vulnerable players, including people at risk of gaming addiction. That is not a medical finding about the games under investigation, nor does it establish that a named company caused addiction in any player.
The European Commission’s guidance for parents and caregivers discusses online-gaming risks including spending, loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics and persuasive design. It notes that the World Health Organization classified gaming disorder as a mental health condition in 2018, while also saying cases of online gaming addiction are rare. The guidance is general advice, not evidence about the companies or games in the current inquiry.
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How does the inquiry fit with wider EU policy?
A 2023 European Parliament resolution on consumer protection in online video games addressed topics including manipulative design, disclosure of real-world currency values, loot-box odds, pay-to-win information and protections for children. It provides policy context for the current concerns; it is not a judgment in this inquiry or, by itself, a new binding rule. Read the resolution on EUR-Lex.
There is also a separate U.S. history of enforcement attention to gaming purchases. The Federal Trade Commission’s 2022 staff report, “Bringing Dark Patterns to Light,” discusses unauthorized charges through children’s gaming apps and earlier FTC action involving Amazon, Apple and Google. Those U.S. examples help explain why purchase flows and consent attract regulatory scrutiny, but they are not evidence about the European companies or the present EU action.
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How can parents limit a child’s spending in games?
The European Commission’s caregiver guidance advises adults to use parental support tools to monitor, limit or prohibit spending. The exact controls and menus vary by game and platform, so check the settings available for the child’s account and the device or service it uses. The Commission’s online-gaming guidance provides general advice for caregivers.
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