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

In brief

• EU consumer authorities have opened coordinated actions against nine games companies over how they sell in-game currencies.
• The guidelines require real-world prices to be shown and a 14-day right of withdrawal, including on unused currency.
• Cryptocurrencies are carved out of the principles entirely.

European consumer authorities have opened eleven coordinated actions against ten video games companies over the way they sell and price in-game virtual currencies, the European Commission said Wednesday.

The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, which groups national enforcement bodies and is coordinated by the Commission, named Activision Blizzard UK, Crytek, InnoGames, King.com, Mojang, Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft EMEA in a joint statement.

The games are Diablo Immortal, Call of Duty Mobile, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Forge of Empires, Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft, Mech Arena, Gardenscapes, Valorant, Clash of Clans and For Honor, picked for their broad reach, availability across devices and range of age ratings.

The actions follow key principles the network published in March 2025. Those say the real-world price of in-game items and currency must be shown prominently, that traders should not mix several currencies or require repeated exchanges in ways that obscure cost, and that players should not be pushed into buying more currency than an item needs. Bundles that deliberately mismatch item prices, leaving players with a stranded balance, are among the practices to avoid.