The EU is challenging how some video games present purchasable virtual currency—not by issuing a final ruling that the named companies broke the law, but through coordinated consumer-protection action over practices authorities suspect may breach EU rules. The concern is practical: players may struggle to see an item’s real-money cost or have to buy more currency than they need.
What the EU action covers
The European Commission says the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has opened coordinated dialogue with nine video-game companies over in-game virtual currencies. The listed games are Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Forge of Empires, For Honor, Gardenscapes, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Mech Arena, Minecraft and Valorant. The named companies are Crytek GmbH, InnoGames GmbH, King.com Limited, Mojang AB, Plarium Europe, PLR Worldwide Sales Limited, Riot Games Limited, Supercell Oy and Ubisoft EMEA SAS. The Commission does not say that every game uses every questioned practice. Its current coordinated-action page says national enforcement measures may follow if the concerns are not resolved.
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This is not a finding that each company violated consumer law. The CPC principles say they explain how the network interprets existing consumer-protection legislation, but do not bind authorities or courts; only competent authorities and courts can make final legality decisions. The principles cite the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Consumer Rights Directive and Unfair Contract Terms Directive. The Commission reports that a June 2025 industry workshop did not lead to satisfactory solutions to present compliance issues, which are now being addressed through the coordinated actions.
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The CPC Network published its Key Principles on In-Game Virtual Currencies on 21 March 2025. They apply to currency bought with real-world money and used to pay for in-game digital content or services; currency earned only through gameplay is outside the scope described in the document. The principles are non-exhaustive guidance for traders applying existing EU consumer-protection law.
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Show the real-money price
When currency or an item can be bought directly or indirectly with real money, the principles say its price should be clearly and prominently indicated in real-world money. That expectation also applies when one purchasable currency is exchanged for another: the player should be able to understand the price in ordinary money, not just in tokens or points.
For an item priced in currency, the principles say the real-money indication should be based on the amount of currency needed to get that item, without applying quantity discounts or promotions. In other words, how a player happened to acquire a balance does not alter the item’s objective price. The document puts the point plainly: “Price information is material information, and consumers should be able to understand the true cost of purchasing in-game digital content or services by having its price indicated in real-world money.”
Do not obscure the cost or require excess spending
Multiple purchasable currencies, several exchange steps before an item can be bought, and currency bundles that do not match item prices can make the total harder to understand. The principles say these kinds of practices should be avoided, along with designs that require a player to spend more real money on currency than the selected content costs or prevent the player from choosing a specific amount.
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That guidance addresses a familiar pricing problem without making a finding about any individual game: a player may need to buy a bundle larger than the item’s currency price and be left with an unused balance. The principle is that a game should not make that excess purchase necessary to obtain the selected content.
Information, terms and withdrawal rights
Before a player agrees to buy currency, digital content or services, the CPC principles call for clear pre-contractual information. Depending on the offer, that includes the main characteristics, the trader’s identity and contact details, the real-money price, withdrawal conditions, the legal guarantee of conformity for digital content and services, and payment and delivery methods. Terms should use plain, clear language and must not restrict statutory consumer rights.
Withdrawal rights depend on the purchase and applicable law. The principles say traders should explain how to exercise a right and, where applicable, allow withdrawal within 14 days. For digital content to be exempted from withdrawal after immediate performance begins, the consumer must expressly consent to that immediate performance and acknowledge losing the withdrawal right; the acknowledgment must be separate from the purchase click. The document also identifies denying withdrawal for unused purchased virtual currency as a practice to avoid. This is a summary of the CPC guidance, not legal advice about a particular transaction.
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Why children and vulnerable players receive particular attention
The CPC principles treat children as always vulnerable consumers. Vulnerability for other players can depend on context, including problematic spending behavior. Traders are advised to account for the consumers likely to encounter a practice, not only the audience a game is intended to reach.
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The Commission’s separate account of its Star Stable Online action described concerns about direct exhortations to children to buy, time-limited pressure, unclear currency information adapted for children and influencer-marketing disclosures. Those were concerns in that separate case, not findings about the nine games in the current coordinated action.
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How this differs from another EU video-game action
The virtual-currency action concerning the nine companies is distinct from a separate CPC action announced in early 2026 concerning Microsoft Corporation and Activision Blizzard, relating to Call of Duty Mobile and Diablo Immortal. The Commission says that separate action also raises concerns about data collection, addictive design, parental-control defaults, direct exhortations to children, pre-contractual information and unilateral account blocking. Its wider set of issues should not be attributed to the nine-company action.
Where to seek help with a cross-border purchase
If a dispute involves a trader in another EU Member State, the Commission says consumers can contact their national European Consumer Centre for free advice and assistance. Consumers can also approach their national consumer-protection authority. Neither route guarantees a refund or a particular enforcement outcome. The Commission’s European Consumer Centres information explains the available support.
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