Consumer pressure leads to historical EU action against the video games industry
30. september, 2026
The Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has announced that is opening cases against 9 video game companies for their use of virtual currencies. The action is a result of years of pressure from the Norwegian Consumer Council and other European consumer organisations.
In 2025, the CPC-network published its guidelines for virtual currencies in video games. This came in the wake of the Norwegian Consumer Council report “Getting Played”, and accompanying legal complaint from 22 European consumer organisations.
–This is a welcome action and step in the right direction. When the industry decides to ignore both the law and binding guidelines, the road to strict sanctions should be short, says senior legal advisor Thomas Iversen from the Norwegian Consumer Council.
–The video games industry is operating across the EU and EEA, and therefore the law must be applied consistently. The Norwegian Consumer Council welcomes that the CPC action emphasises both consumer rights and a vibrant and competitive industry.
The CPC-network are launching an enforcement action across the EU and EEA to ensure that consumer protection applies in digital games. The Norwegian Consumer Authority has been a central part of this work.
Through its reports, the Norwegian Consumer Council has shown that business models and design patterns in video games can be harmful to consumers, especially vulnerable groups such as children. These bad practices include the use of virtual currencies, loot boxes, mechanisms such as countdowns to pressure consumers into purchases, and artificial scarcity.
Virtual currencies – designed to confuse
In 2024, the Norwegian Consumer Council and 21 other European consumer organisations filed legal complaints against the companies behind popular games such as Fortnite, EA Sports FC 24, Minecraft, and Clash of Clans.
–With virtual currencies, the video games industry has designed their own economies where they set all the rules. The companies can alter prices and conversion rates at any time, while the consumer does not even own what they have bought, Iversen says.
In addition to obfuscating prices and pushing consumers into spending money, consumers lose their basic consumer rights if they purchase something with virtual currencies, rather than «real money».
–Consumers should have the same fundamental rights when purchasing items in video games, as they have with any other purchases. For example, they should have access to price information before the purchase, and the right to withdrawal if there are problems with the service. It seems like the announced enforcement action takes these problems seriously, Iversen says.
What are virtual currencies?
Virtual currencies are a form of currency that only exists within a specific video game. Consumers usually have to use this type of currency to purchase in-game content. Some virtual currencies are earned by playing the game, which is cost-free and usually unproblematic.
The problematic aspects of virtual currencies emerge when the consumer must purchase the currency for real money. In order to increase their profits, video game companies design their games to obfuscate prices, mislead consumers, and push them to spend more money to progress in the games.
Virtual currencies can take many aesthetic forms, such as coins, points or fruits. They commonly cannot be exchanged back into real money.
Øyvind H. Kaldestad
Digitale rettigheter og strømmarkedet
The enforcement action aims to safeguard the following principles:
- Clear and transparent pricing: The prices of in-game purchases must be provided in real-world currency.
- Do not obscure costs: Games should not use multiple currencies or exchange rates.
- Do not force unwanted purchases: Consumers should not feel obliged to purchase large amounts of virtual currencies to progress or enjoy the game.
- Provide clear information: Consumers must have access to clear and understandable information before purchasing virtual currencies and in-game content.
- Respect the right of withdrawal: Consumers must be informed about the right of withdrawal within 14 days from the purchase. This includes unused virtual currency.
- Fair and understandable terms: Terms and conditions must be fair and understandable for consumers.
- Protect vulnerable consumers: Games must provide appropriate safeguards to all consumers.
