The EU Is Coming For Gaming’s Most Manipulative Monetization Tactics
European consumer protection authorities have launched coordinated regulatory actions against 10 major video game companies, including Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Microsoft’s gaming studios (King and Mojang), Crytek, InnoGames, Plarium, Supercell, and Riot Games. The probe, sanctioned by the European Commission and led by Italian antitrust authorities, targets manipulative design practices known as “dark patterns” that exploit players and put minors at risk of gaming addiction.
The investigation focuses specifically on abusive monetization practices involving in-game digital currencies. A key example cited is Destiny 2’s Silver currency, which comes in bundles of 500, 1,000, and 1,500 units. Cosmetic items cost between 600 and 1,500 Silver, forcing players to purchase more currency than needed—and any unspent balance cannot be easily converted back to cash, creating deliberate inefficiency designed to extract additional spending.
The regulatory effort aims to “promote transparency and fairness to protect the rights of consumers playing video games, particularly minors,” according to the European Commission. The coordinated action represents a significant escalation in consumer protection scrutiny of the gaming industry’s monetization practices, addressing long-standing concerns about psychological manipulation embedded in modern live-service game design.