European consumer authorities have opened eleven coordinated actions against ten video game 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 from across the EU 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 covered 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. Authorities selected the titles for their broad reach, availability across devices and range of age ratings, a list that includes some of the industry's most recognizable titles.

The actions follow key principles on in-game virtual currencies the network published in March 2025. Under those principles, the real-world price of in-game items and currencies must be displayed prominently. Traders should not mix several currencies or require repeated exchanges in ways that obscure the true cost, and players should not be pressured into buying more currency than an item requires. Bundles that deliberately mismatch item prices, leaving players with a stranded balance they cannot fully spend, are among the practices to avoid.

Players also retain a 14-day right of withdrawal, including for virtual currency that has been bought but not yet spent. Contract terms granting companies a unilateral right to change the value of in-game currency, or to close player accounts without any possibility of contesting the decision, are flagged as unfair.

Children are treated as inherently vulnerable, and any game not aimed exclusively at adults should expect a significant share of players under 18. High spenders are also classed as a vulnerable group, with the principles stating that so-called whales "are likely to struggle with impulse control or gambling disorders" and that games built around them face a stricter fairness test.

Cryptocurrencies sit outside the framework entirely. A footnote excludes cryptocurrencies and similar digital currencies that function as alternative forms of payment using encryption, along with virtual currencies as defined in the EU's fifth anti-money laundering directive. Currencies that can only be earned through play and never bought with real money are excluded as well. The regime is aimed squarely at currencies purchased with real money inside closed game economies.

The actions also extend beyond pricing. The network said it is paying particular attention to variable reward systems such as loot boxes, especially where they are aimed at or accessible to children, alongside dark patterns, aggressive commercial practices and direct exhortations of children to buy, which EU law already prohibits. Misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity are named among the techniques under scrutiny.

In the Activision Blizzard case, the network is additionally examining data collection, addictive design, default parental controls and account blocking.

The network opened a dialogue with industry bodies last year, holding workshops in June and September 2025. It has since found indications that a high number of companies made no substantive changes to their games, either in response to the published guidance or to years of talks with regulators. Self-regulation schemes such as PEGI, the Pan-European Game Information age-rating system, have brought some improvements, it said, but often fail to address the core of the harmful practices. The coordinated actions mark the network's shift from guidance and dialogue to formal enforcement. Whether the ten companies now change how their in-game stores work will show whether this round lands where the workshops did not.