Italy has launched two investigations into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard. The country’s competition regulator, Autorita Garante della Concorrenza E Del Mercato (AGCM), alleges the company has engaged in misleading and aggressive sales practices for its popular smartphone games Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.
The investigations focus on the use of design elements to induce users, particularly children, into playing for long periods and making in-game purchases. The regulator states these practices urge players not to miss out on rewards. These strategies, combined with methods that obscure the real value of virtual currency and the sale of that currency in bundles, may influence consumers. This can lead players, including minors, to spend significant and sometimes unnecessary amounts without full awareness of the expenditure.
The AGCM notes the games are advertised as free-to-play but offer in-game purchases. Diablo Immortal, for example, sells in-game cosmetics and progression-boosting currency for as much as two hundred dollars. Given the nature of such games, it is common for users to make repeated purchases. Both titles have player bases numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
The authority is also examining the games’ parental control features. The default settings allow minors to make purchases, play for extended periods without restraint, and chat with others online. The AGCM highlighted privacy concerns, as the games appear to guide users to select all consent options during sign-up. The regulator will investigate the company’s process for harvesting and using personal data.
In its view, the company may be acting in breach of consumer protection rules and failing in the duty of professional diligence required in a sector sensitive to gaming addiction risks. Activision Blizzard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.