EU Cracks Down on Sneaky In-Game Currency Tactics

Ever feel like you're being nickel-and-dimed by your favorite games? You're not alone. European consumer protection authorities have just announced a major crackdown on the sneaky monetization tactics that have become all too common in gaming.

The European Commission is leading "coordinated actions" against 10 video game companies, including industry giants like Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft. The accusation? Using "dark patterns" that put minors and individuals at risk of gaming addiction in harm's way. If you've ever bought in-game currency, you've probably encountered one of these tactics. Take Destiny 2's Silver: it comes in bundles of 500, 1,000, or 1,500 units, but that fancy armor ornament you want costs between 600 and 1,500 Silver. So you're forced to buy more than you need, and you can't exchange the leftover Silver back for cash. It's a one-way street.

Destiny 2 is far from alone. Fortnite, Call of Duty, and countless other big games use similar premium currencies with bundle deals that ensure you're always a few digital bucks short. But there's some good news: Fortnite is changing its ways. Starting October 14, players can purchase the exact amount of V-Bucks they need. This change will also roll out to Rocket League and Fall Guys across Xbox, Nintendo, PC, Android, iPhone, and the Fortnite web Item Shop—though PlayStation won't support it for now.

The European-wide enforcement focuses on practices that obscure real-world spending, like premium currencies, selling virtual currency in set quantities that rarely match item prices (forcing you to overspend), and insufficient parental controls. Under the European Commission's coordination, the goal is to promote transparency and fairness and protect consumers and minors. The Italian Competition Authority is leading the actions against the following companies: Activision Blizzard, Crytek, InnoGames GmbH, King, Mojang, Plarium Europe S.à.r.l., PLR Worldwide Sales Limited, Riot Games, Supercell, and Ubisoft. Activision Blizzard is the primary focus, with games like Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty singled out, expanding on previous investigations. Manipulative UI design and poor customer support are also cited as concerns.

"These practices make it difficult for gamers, particularly vulnerable consumers, such as minors and individuals at risk of gaming addiction, to understand and keep track of how much money they are spending," the EC press statement reads. If successful, this could set a new regulatory precedent with stricter oversight of monetization strategies in free-to-play and live-service games across all European markets.

This follows a global trend. The FTC previously investigated "roach motel" subscriptions in live-service games—easy to sign up for, a nightmare to cancel. Meanwhile, Sony claims it doesn't mislead customers into purchasing digital licenses instead of actual ownership, and it's set to pay out nearly $8 million to PlayStation customers as part of a settlement regarding digital game prices.

So, what do you think? Will these actions finally force publishers to clean up their act, or will it be business as usual? And will you be picking up that exact amount of V-Bucks in Fortnite come October 14? Let us know in the comments!