The European Union's Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has launched a coordinated review of nine game companies over commercial practices relating to in-game virtual currencies. The review is not a finding that these companies have acted unlawfully. It is a compliance process carried out within the framework of existing EU consumer law. Even so, it brings the legal dimension of pricing and purchase design to the attention of studios that are entering, or planning to enter, the European market.
1. Scope of the Review
On 30 September 2026, the CPC Network launched EU-level coordinated actions against nine game companies. The subject is commercial practices relating to in-game virtual currencies. On the same date, the Network also adopted a joint statement on consumer protection in video games.
The companies within the scope of the review include Riot Games, Ubisoft, Supercell, Mojang, King, and Crytek.
2. Practices Under Scrutiny
The main issues highlighted in the review are as follows:
The relationship between the real money a player pays and the virtual currency spent in the game is not made clear,
Multiple virtual currencies are used,
Players are required to buy more virtual currency than they need,
Insufficient information is provided before purchase.
In addition, the information provided on the right of withdrawal for unused virtual currency, and the protection of vulnerable groups such as children, are also on the agenda.
For example, if a player who wants to spend 100 TL is required to buy 120 TL worth of in-game currency, this may be not merely a user experience choice but a price transparency issue that needs to be assessed under consumer law.
3. Legal Nature of the Review
At this stage, no decision has been made that the companies have acted unlawfully. The CPC Network has opened a dialogue with the companies concerned. If concerns remain unresolved, the competent authorities may consider enforcement measures at the national level. This development is therefore not a penalty decision but a clear statement of compliance expectations.
4. What Does This Mean for Türkiye-Based Studios?
Consider a studio that has found success in Türkiye and expands into the European market. If its store:
Does not clearly display prices in real money,
Requires players to buy more virtual currency than they want,
Uses multiple virtual currencies,
Does not explain the terms of purchase clearly enough,
these may cease to be mere game design or user experience decisions and become matters that also need to be assessed under consumer law.
5. Assessment
For a game company entering the European market, checking only the intellectual property rights and app store agreements may not be enough. How payment is collected from the player, how prices are displayed, and how the purchase flow is designed should also be part of the legal review.
The money inside a game may be virtual. But the money the player pays is real.
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