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When Microtransactions Cross the Line: What Italy’s Investigation of Activision Blizzard Means for Gamers

UUnknown

2026-03-01

10 min read

Italy’s AGCM has probed Activision Blizzard over alleged aggressive microtransactions in Diablo Immortal and CoD Mobile — here’s what it means for kids and mobile monetization.

When microtransactions stop being a convenience and start feeling like a trap — what gamers need to know now

Hook: If you or a kid in your life has ever opened a free-to-play game and ended up buying far more than you planned, you’re not alone. In early 2026 Italy’s competition watchdog (AGCM) opened two formal probes into Activision Blizzard titles — Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile — alleging misleading and aggressive monetization aimed at pushing players, including minors, to spend. This is a pivotal moment for mobile gaming: regulators are asking where design ends and exploitation begins.

What the AGCM probes actually target (and why they matter)

In January 2026 the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) announced investigations into Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard for sales practices in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. The regulator flagged several recurring problems across modern mobile monetization:

Dark patterns and nudges — design elements that prod players to play longer or purchase to avoid missing rewards.
Opaque virtual currency — bundles and exchange rates that make the real-world cost of items hard to understand.
Offers that appear time-limited — fear-of-missing-out mechanics that can push impulsive purchases.
Particular risk to minors — mechanisms that might exploit children’s decision-making and self-control.

“These practices... may influence players as consumers — including minors — leading them to spend significant amounts, sometimes exceeding what is necessary to progress in the game and without being fully aware of the expenditure involved,” the AGCM wrote in its press release (PS13020–PS13039, Jan 2026).

How those issues show up in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile

Both games are globally popular and marketed as free-to-play. The AGCM specifically highlighted:

Diablo Immortal: sells in-game currency in bundles and has premium items that speed progression; some bundles and crafting-related purchases can cost up to $200. This creates pay-to-progress pressure for players who want to stay competitive.
Call of Duty Mobile: extensive cosmetic monetization, time-limited offers, and battle-pass mechanics that can press players into buying to avoid losing seasonal rewards.

Why regulators picked mobile games as a priority in 2025–2026

Regulators worldwide have been moving from concern to action. Starting with targeted responses to loot boxes and gambling-like mechanics earlier in the decade, national authorities and EU bodies accelerated scrutiny in late 2024–2025. By early 2026, national competition and consumer-protection agencies — including Italy’s AGCM — began treating aggressive in-app monetization as an unfair commercial practice rather than mere game design.

This shift is driven by several trends:

Mobile gaming’s scale: billions of players and enormous revenue make consumer harm systemic rather than isolated.
Evidence about children’s vulnerability: behavioral science and regulator investigations show children are more susceptible to scarcity cues and reward loops.
Platform accountability: app stores and console manufacturers now face pressure to police abusive monetization and offer better parental controls.

What this means for kids and families

Parents and guardians should treat this as more than a headline — it’s a practical risk. Design choices that seem innocuous to adults can be persuasive to children. AGCM’s language makes it clear that the regulator is concerned about mechanics that actively induce minors to spend.

Practical risks for kids

Impulse purchases driven by countdown timers and “exclusive” offers.
Confusion about real money value because many items are sold in virtual-currency bundles.
Social pressure and FOMO: friends completing seasons or owning cosmetics can push younger players to match peers.
Unintended overspending when children use a parent’s payment details.

Actionable steps parents and guardians should take today

Enable store-level protections: Turn off in-app purchases on devices or require a password for every purchase. Both Apple and Google provide family sharing and purchase approval flows — use them.
Use gift cards and pre-paid methods: Instead of linking a credit card, fund accounts with controlled amounts via platform gift cards.
Set clear spending limits: Talk with kids and set a monthly allotment for digital spends; treat it like pocket money with visible tracking.
Monitor purchase history: Regularly check app store receipts. Many fraudulent or manipulative offers show up as unusual microcharges.
Disable push notifications: Many sales are prompted by notifications implying urgency. Disable or mute them for risky apps.
Use device-level screen time and age filters: Limit session length — which mitigates mechanics designed to make players chase timed rewards.

How regulators could reshape mobile monetization (what to expect next)

AGCM’s probes are tactical and legal: they investigate facts and may lead to fines, required changes, or recommendations for new rules. But they’re also strategic — similar moves in the EU and other jurisdictions could produce wide policy changes. Here are regulatory levers likely to be used in 2026 and beyond:

1. Transparency mandates

Regulators can require clear, upfront disclosure of the real-world cost of virtual goods (price per item in local currency) and a standardized listing of virtual-currency exchange rates. Expect rules that force publishers to show exact prices rather than only virtual-currency bundles.

2. Anti-dark-pattern rules

Design practices that intentionally mislead or coerce could be banned. This includes misleading countdowns, disguised purchase buttons, or designs that obscure how to decline or restore default settings. Enforcement may mimic existing consumer laws targeting “aggressive selling” tactics.

3. Age protections and spending caps

Regulators may require age verification and automatic spending caps for accounts identified as minors. This wouldn’t just be optional settings — many jurisdictions could force default caps with opt-out only through documented parental consent.

4. Limits on loot boxes and pay-to-progress mechanics

Several countries have already restricted gambling-like mechanics; the AGCM’s concern about progression acceleration could push similar limits in Italy and influence EU policy. Expect stricter scrutiny of randomized rewards and purchases that materially affect competitive balance.

5. Standardized labelling and disclosures

Like nutrition labels for food, regulators might require a short, consistent “microtransaction label” showing typical cost ranges, the presence of randomized rewards, and whether purchases speed progression.

6. Platform accountability

Beyond publishers, regulators may pressure app stores to enforce transparent pricing, ban certain dark patterns at the storefront level, and improve parental controls. Apple and Google could be required to provide easier refunds and more granular parental controls natively.

What publishers and studios should do to adapt (and protect revenue)

Being compliant and humane needn’t kill profitability. Several paths forward can preserve revenue while reducing consumer harm and regulatory risk. For studios and monetization leads, consider these strategies:

Make pricing clear: Show currency-equivalent prices for items and the value of virtual-currency packs. Clear pricing builds trust and reduces complaints.
Separate cosmetics from progression: Monetize through vanity items rather than power acceleration. Players tolerate cosmetics much more readily if gameplay progression is fair.
Introduce subscription tiers: Predictable monthly fees (battle pass models with transparent benefits) can replace opaque microtransactions while smoothing revenue.
Design ethical FOMO: Use limited-time events for engagement but avoid pressure-inducing tactics targeting minors or vulnerable players.
Implement parental controls & spending caps: Give parents robust tools and make them default for underage accounts.
Audit UX for dark patterns: Regularly test interfaces with external auditors to identify coercive nudges.

Business outcomes: short term pain, long-term gain

Regulatory pressure can reduce some immediate ARPU (average revenue per user) streams, particularly those driven by aggressive tactics. But companies that pivot early to transparent, trust-based monetization often see higher long-term retention and better brand health. In 2026 we’re already seeing studios that clean up their monetization enjoy fewer refunds, fewer public blowups, and stronger user referrals.

Advanced strategies for gamers and communities

If you’re a community leader, streamer, or esports organizer, you can play a role in shaping healthier monetization:

Educate your audience: Create short guides showing how to spot dark patterns and set up parental controls — share them on socials to scale impact.
Promote transparency-friendly titles: Reward games that use clear, fair monetization in your coverage and events.
Advocate for change: Use community petitions or coordinated feedback to app stores and regulators if you see abusive patterns.

What gamers can do right now — a quick checklist

Check app-store receipts monthly and contest unrecognized purchases immediately.
Use gift cards instead of credit cards for kid accounts.
Turn off or limit push notifications from games with aggressive offers.
Limit play sessions to avoid reward-chasing behavior that triggers purchases.
Ask developers publicly how their pricing translates to local currency — public calls often trigger faster fixes.

Future predictions — where mobile monetization is headed in 2026 and beyond

Based on recent enforcement actions (like the AGCM probes), app-store policy shifts, and consumer sentiment trends in late 2025–early 2026, expect these trends to accelerate:

More national probes: Other EU regulators will watch AGCM outcomes closely and may open parallel investigations.
Standardized disclosure regimes: A Europe-wide approach to pricing transparency for virtual goods is likely by 2027 if member states align.
Shift to subscriptions and cosmetics: Games will favor predictable monetization over high-pressure microtransactions to reduce regulatory risk.
Platform-driven controls: Apple and Google will offer even stronger family controls and may enforce developer compliance more strictly.
Legal clarity on minors: New case law or regulation will codify limits to marketing to children inside games.

Case study: how transparency improved a mobile title’s reception

In late 2025 a mid-size studio revamped its flagship mobile RPG after community backlash over opaque currency bundles. They implemented clear price-per-item labels, separated cosmetic and progression purchases, and added parental spending caps. Within three months they saw a 15% drop in refund claims, a 7% increase in daily active users, and improved sentiment scores across forums and app-store reviews — illustrating that cleaning up monetization can restore trust without destroying revenue.

What to watch next in the AGCM investigations

The AGCM’s probe into Activision Blizzard is fact-finding: it could lead to administrative fines, compelled changes to in-game flows, or recommendations to Italy’s legislature. Gamers and industry watchers should track three milestones:

AGCM statements of preliminary findings — these reveal which practices are considered most problematic.
Any corrective orders — companies may be forced to alter UI, pricing displays, or sales mechanics.
Legal appeals and precedent — outcomes will influence how other EU regulators craft their own orders.

Final takeaway: you don’t have to be a regulator to protect yourself

The AGCM probes are a wake-up call for everyone in the ecosystem — gamers, parents, creators, and publishers. Regulation is catching up with design, and that will change how mobile games make money. But you don’t have to wait for policy to act. Use the practical steps above to protect kids and budgets today, and support studios that choose transparency over tricks.

Call to action

If you care about fair monetization, start by checking your device’s purchase settings right now. Join our community newsletter for step-by-step parental guides, developer best practices, and live coverage of the AGCM probes as they unfold — we’ll alert you when those findings drop and what they mean for your favorite games.

Unknown

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.