Italy Probes Activision Blizzard: What the Investigations Mean for Mobile Gacha and Loot Monetization

Hook: Why every player, developer and publisher should care about Italy’s probe

If you’ve ever felt nudged, rushed, or confused while buying a skin or a bundle in a free-to-play mobile game, you’re not alone — and regulators are noticing. In January 2026 Italy’s competition watchdog launched twin probes into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard over alleged “misleading and aggressive” sales techniques in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. For players this could mean stronger protections and easier refunds. For developers and publishers it signals regulatory pressure that could reshape how mobile monetization is designed and marketed across Europe.

What AGCM is investigating — the core allegations

The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) opened two investigations into Activision Blizzard centered on how the company designs and markets in-game purchases in its top mobile titles. The regulator’s focus is on UX elements and commercial practices that may push consumers — including minors — into spending more than they intended.

“These practices, together with strategies that make it difficult for users to understand the real value of the virtual currency used in the game and the sale of in-game currency in bundles, 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.” — AGCM, January 2026

Specifically, AGCM called out:

• Dark-pattern UX that encourages long play and repeated spending (e.g., timers, fear-of-missing-out mechanics).
Opaque virtual currency pricing — bundles and exchange rates make it hard to know the real cost of items.
• Targeting of minors through persistent notifications and reward loops.
• Large bundled purchases that push players toward high single-ticket purchases (sometimes the equivalent of $100s).

Why this is bigger than a single company

The Activision Blizzard probes are symptomatic of a broader European trend. Regulators across the EU and the UK have steadily tightened scrutiny around loot boxes, gacha mechanics and in-game purchases since the late 2010s.

Key context through 2026:

• Several EU member states have already classified certain loot-box systems as gambling or demanded stronger consumer protections.
• National consumer protection authorities now coordinate more frequently through the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation networks, enabling cross-border inquiries into global publishers.
• Platform gatekeepers (Apple and Google) have updated store policies since 2023 to require clearer billing and parental controls — and these policies evolved further in 2024–2025 in response to regulator pressure.

Put simply: when a large national regulator like AGCM moves, it often triggers a chain reaction that affects publishers across Europe because unilateral changes by individual companies are ineffective in a single market with a global player base.

How Diablo Immortal and CoD Mobile fit the profile

Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile are archetypal modern mobile giants: free-to-play front ends, deep engagement loops, and layered monetization (battle passes, bundles, direct purchases, and gacha-like draws). They also demonstrate several monetization features under scrutiny:

• Currency bundles sold in tiers (e.g., 1,000 coins vs. 20,000 coins) without clear per-item equivalence.
• Progress gates that can be bypassed faster with purchases — increasing temptation for time-poor players.
• Event-limited offers that create urgency and FOMO.

These design choices maximize short-term revenue, but regulators argue they can be misleading when the real cost and probability of desirable outcomes (in gacha pulls) aren’t transparent.

Immediate legal and business risks for Activision Blizzard

An AGCM probe is an enforcement process with potential outcomes ranging from formal warnings and mandated changes to substantial fines. Because AGCM has both consumer-protection and competition powers, implications include:

• Orders to change UI/UX elements or marketing language across Italy (and often across the EU to avoid fragmentation).
• Fines that can scale with company revenue or the duration of the offending practice.
• Reputational damage that impacts user trust and long-term monetization.

For a company the size of Microsoft/Activision Blizzard the financial hit may be absorbable, but the deeper cost is operational: reworking game economies across global builds, compliance engineering, and potential churn from players frustrated by abrupt changes or new limits.

Wider regulatory trends shaping the next phase of mobile monetization

Looking ahead in 2026, expect regulators to pursue a few consistent targets that will reshape design and business models:

1. Transparency mandates: Clear, upfront disclosure of real-money equivalents for in-game currency and item prices; mandatory probability disclosure for gacha mechanics where applicable.
2. Stronger protections for minors: Default spend caps, explicit age gates, and parental consent flows required for in-app purchases.
3. Limits on dark patterns: Prohibitions or restrictions on misleading timers, deceptive countdowns, and manipulative notifications.
4. Harmonized EU rules: An emerging EU-wide code of conduct or regulatory guidance that will reduce compliance fragmentation for global publishers.

These are trends already visible in national decisions and platform policy shifts; AGCM’s cases will likely accelerate adoption.

How developers and publishers should respond — practical, actionable steps

Regulatory risk is also business risk. Here are concrete steps studios and publishers should implement now — not later:

1. Audit your monetization flows and UX for dark patterns

• Run a full UX/legal audit focused on urgency cues, forced choices, and persistent nudges that target minors.
• Document every instance where real-world money is converted to virtual goods and ensure per-item cost equivalence is calculable and displayed.

2. Make currency pricing transparent

• Display the real-money cost next to any virtual currency bundle in local currency and per-unit cost (e.g., X currency = $Y; cost per pull = $Z).
• Show alternative single-item prices where possible so players can compare buying currency vs. direct purchase.

3. Add or tighten parental controls and spend limits

• Implement default monthly caps for accounts flagged as minors and require elevated verification to raise limits.
• Introduce clear, reversible purchase confirmation steps; make refunds and spending history accessible from the same account UI.

4. Publish gacha and drop rates where applicable

• Publish exact probabilities for gacha draws and provide a running counter of pity systems and guarantees.
• Consider allowing players to buy guarantees directly (e.g., a “pity buy” for a guaranteed featured item at a published price).

5. Rebalance and create low-pressure monetization alternatives

• Design more direct-purchase cosmetic options, battle-pass value tiers, and subscription models to reduce reliance on high-pressure impulsive buys.
• Use ethical UX: preserve engagement without nudging instant spend (e.g., remove “only 5 left” tricks unless inventory is real and limited).

6. Prepare communications and compliance documentation

• Create a compliance playbook and public FAQ about how purchases work; this goes a long way with regulators and community trust.
• Maintain audit trails for offers and notifications — regulators often want to see historical UX and marketing materials.

Advice for players and parents — protect your wallet and your community

While regulators work through the process, players can take immediate steps to limit surprise spending and protect minors:

• Enable platform parental controls: Use Apple Family Sharing, Google Play parental controls, or console settings to block or require approvals for purchases.
• Set payment limits: Use prepaid cards or platform-managed spending caps — and check monthly statements.
• Understand currency equivalence: Before buying a bundle, calculate the cost per unit and compare with direct item prices.
• Report aggressive practices: If an offer feels deceptive, keep screenshots and reports to consumer protection agencies (e.g., AGCM in Italy, your national authority elsewhere).

Potential market-level outcomes and business implications

If AGCM takes enforcement actions, expect ripple effects:

• Short-term ARPDAU dip: Removing manipulative mechanics can reduce impulse buys; however, ethically designed alternatives often sustain revenue while increasing retention.
• Consolidation of “safe” design patterns: Battle passes, subscriptions and transparent cosmetics will solidify as industry best practices.
• Operational costs: Rebuilding economies and compliance systems costs money, but compliant monetization may reduce churn and legal risk.
• Policy harmonization: Platforms may standardize store-level requirements across regions to simplify compliance (we’re already seeing this since 2024).

Predictions: What 2026–2028 looks like for mobile gacha and loot monetization

Based on regulatory momentum and industry dynamics, here’s what to expect in the next 24–36 months:

1. Wider enforcement across EU states: More national authorities will open probes or issue guidance; publishers will respond with pan-European changes.
2. Mandatory transparency standards: Drop-rate disclosure and real-money equivalence will become de facto requirements across major app stores in Europe.
3. SDK and payment provider shifts: Third-party monetization SDKs will offer compliance modes and new hooks for parental controls and spend caps.
4. Design innovation: Gamified but non-predatory monetization — such as social gifting economies and opt-in ad rewards — will take hold.

Challenges and trade-offs: What the industry must wrestle with

Regulation solves many consumer issues but raises trade-offs:

• Revenue vs. retention: Aggressive mechanics that spike short-term revenue also erode trust — regulators force a shift to long-term metrics.
• Global product complexity: Publishers must balance uniform game design with localized compliance — leading to heavier QA and legal testing.
• Enforcement uncertainty: Different countries may interpret rules variably; coordination will be imperfect initially.

How advertisers and e-commerce partners should prepare

Advertisers embedded in mobile games (sponsored skins, crossover bundles) should:

• Inspect how their brands are promoted — avoid being tied to aggressive monetization UX.
• Require publishers to meet transparency standards as a condition of sponsorships.
• Demand compliance clauses in contracts to limit liability if a sponsored mechanic is later deemed deceptive.

What to watch next: signals that a broader regulatory shift is underway

• Follow AGCM’s official timeline and decisions — they publish updates and press releases on enforcement steps.
• Watch for coordinated statements from EU consumer agencies and the European Commission’s consumer protection directorates.
• Keep an eye on platform policy updates from Apple and Google; they often codify practical requirements faster than legislation can move.

Final takeaways — immediate actions for each stakeholder

Whether you play, build, or publish games, here’s what to do now:

• Players: Use parental controls, check receipts, and report deceptive offers to consumer authorities.
• Developers/Publishers: Audit monetization flows, publish transparent pricing and rates, and add spend controls.
• Advertisers/Partners: Add compliance clauses and avoid brand placements in manipulative mechanics.
• Investors/Analysts: Expect short-term revenue noise but long-term stabilization as trust and regulation steer the industry.

Closing: Why this could be a turning point — and how to stay ready

AGCM’s probes into Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile aren’t just about two games — they’re a test case for how Europe will police modern mobile monetization. If regulators force meaningful change, we could see a durable shift toward clearer, fairer monetization across mobile gaming. That’s better for players, and in the long run better for businesses that build sustainable revenue models based on trust instead of manipulation.

If you’re a developer or publisher, start the compliance audit today. If you’re a player, put parental controls and spending limits in place now. And if you want to keep tracking how these investigations evolve and what they mean for your favorite titles, stay tuned — we’ll follow AGCM’s next moves and break down the practical implications for gamers and the industry.

Call to action

Want real-time updates on the AGCM case and hands-on guides for implementing compliant monetization? Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth analyses, developer playbooks, and consumer alerts. Share this article with devs and parents who need to know — and drop a comment below with the game features you'd like to see regulated or preserved.

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