Activision Blizzard Under Antitrust Scrutiny for Microtransactions

When Diablo Immortal was released in 2022, we couldn't help but notice the game's pronounced pay-to-win nature, which persistently encourages multiple microtransactions, and we clearly highlighted this issue in our review. Many free-to-play mobile titles adopt similar commercial practices because they are extremely lucrative: Diablo Immortal itself has made good money. But now, someone intends to get to the bottom of it.

Antitrust vs. Diablo Immortal and CoD Mobile

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has issued a press release to announce that it has opened two investigations against Activision Blizzard, concerning the video games Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. The accusations are of implementing "deceptive, aggressive commercial practices and violations of consumers' contractual rights," which would push players to spend significant amounts without due awareness.

The Antitrust points to the "manipulative design of interfaces," which would induce consumers to play assiduously and to adhere to commercial promotions, particularly with notifications that urge them to purchase limited-time content. This aspect is compounded by others, such as "making the real value of virtual currencies unclear" and selling in-game currency in predetermined quantities.

Another critical issue would lie in the parental control settings, whose pre-set filters would not adequately protect minors. Furthermore, the Antitrust wants to clarify how user data is acquired: consumer rights would not be clearly displayed, which could lead to unknowingly waiving them. Finally, the unilateral account blocking, which results in the loss of money spent, is also being questioned.

Codacons' Reaction

Codacons has expressed satisfaction with the Antitrust's initiative. In a statement, the consumer protection association specifies that if illicit activities are detected, it will proceed with legal actions to protect the purchasers of the products under investigation. Codacons emphasizes the pitfalls inherent in in-game purchases, not only from an economic perspective but also due to the danger of gaming addiction.