Explainer: Italy’s Investigations into Activision Blizzard and What It Means for Mobile Gaming

Hook: Why every player and developer should care about Italy’s probe into Activision Blizzard

If you’ve ever felt tricked by a flashy shop window in a mobile game — the timers, surprise bundles, or a virtual currency that hides the true cost of items — you’re not alone. Players and parents have long complained about the opacity and aggressiveness of mobile monetization. Now, in early 2026, Italy’s AGCM has opened two formal probes into Activision Blizzard over alleged practices in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. This matters: the outcomes could reshape how studios design in-game purchases, how platforms enforce rules, and what protections players can expect across the EU.

Executive summary — the most important facts first

In January 2026 the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) launched investigations into Activision Blizzard’s mobile titles. The regulator alleges the publisher used "misleading and aggressive" techniques to push players — including minors — toward spending money via dark patterns, unclear virtual currency pricing, FOMO events, and bundled currency sales. Potential outcomes include significant fines, mandated product changes, and industry-wide ripple effects for mobile monetization.

"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." — AGCM press release, Jan 2026

What exactly is AGCM investigating?

Two probes, two games, overlapping allegations

The AGCM’s investigations target specific mechanics in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. While the exact lines under review are detailed in the regulator’s statements, the core allegations fall into three categories:

• Manipulative UX / dark patterns: design elements that nudge players to keep playing and spend — countdowns, fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) offers, repeated prompts, and obfuscated purchase flows.
• Unclear virtual currency value: selling in-game currency in bundles without transparent, real-money equivalents, making it hard for players to judge cost per item.
• Targeting minors: game features allegedly encourage long sessions or purchases by underage players, raising consumer protection and child-safety red flags.

Why the AGCM action is different in 2026

Regulators have looked at loot boxes and gacha mechanics for years, but the landscape evolved. By late 2025 and into 2026 we saw a series of developments that make the AGCM action particularly consequential:

• Greater regulatory experience: European regulators are coordinating more and building case law around digital consumer harms.
• Platform accountability: App stores (Apple, Google) tightened ad and in-app purchase rules in 2024–2025; enforcement is accelerating.
• Public pressure and litigation: High-profile consumer complaints, class actions, and media scrutiny of free-to-play monetization models have increased political will to act.

Potential penalties and remedies — what can AGCM do?

The AGCM’s tools include administrative fines, ordering corrective disclosures, and requiring structural changes to commercial practices. While exact fines depend on the legal findings and Activision Blizzard’s turnover related to the products, the regulator can impose millions of euros in sanctions and order immediate remediation measures that change gameplay or shop flows.

Beyond fines, typical outcomes from consumer-protection probes include:

• Mandated transparent pricing and currency labeling
• Required age-verification or parental controls for certain purchases
• Restrictions on time-limited mechanics tied to purchases
• Refund obligations or consumer redress schemes

Why this can reshape mobile monetization

The AGCM action signals that regulators will not treat mobile games the same way they treated traditional boxed games. If remedies go beyond disclosure — for example, banning certain dark patterns or forcing currency-price parity displays — developers and publishers will need to redesign core revenue systems. Expect these broader changes:

• Transparency-first monetization: prices shown as clear real-money equivalents or itemized cost-per-item.
• Limits on exploitative mechanics: reduced reliance on FOMO timers and aggressive push-notifications tied to purchases.
• Standardized consumer protections: mandatory spend caps for minors, explicit parental opt-ins, and clearer refund flows.
• Platform policy alignment: app stores may adopt EU-style rules globally to simplify compliance.

How players can protect themselves now — practical, actionable steps

Players worried about hidden spending — or parents monitoring kids — don’t have to wait. Here are concrete steps you can take today:

1. Audit in-app purchases: Check purchase history on your device and payment provider monthly. Save receipts for disputed charges.
2. Enable app-store spending limits: Both Apple and Google provide parental controls that block in-app purchases or require a password for each purchase.
3. Use payment controls: Add payment cards with strict limits, or use pre-paid gift cards so charges can’t exceed a set amount.
4. Document and dispute: If you believe a purchase was misleading, collect screenshots, timestamps, and transaction IDs — then file disputes with the app store and your payment provider.
5. File a complaint: If you’re in Italy, submit a complaint to the AGCM (their public complaints portal accepts consumer reports). EU residents can also use the European Consumer Centre and ODR (Online Dispute Resolution) platform.
6. Community advocacy: Join or start threads in game-specific communities and consumer groups to share evidence and coordinate reports; consolidated complaints draw regulatory attention.

How developers and publishers should respond today

If you build or publish mobile games, assume that regulators will scrutinize monetization flows more closely in 2026 and beyond. Here’s a developer-focused compliance checklist you can implement quickly:

• Transparent pricing: Show real-money equivalents next to virtual currency bundles and item costs.
• Clear UX: Avoid manipulative prompts that obscure cost; label promotional timers and offers clearly.
• Odds and value disclosure: If you have gacha or random-reward systems, publish odds and expected value approximations.
• Age checks and parental consent: Implement robust age-gating and parental-spend controls, especially for kids’ accounts.
• Voluntary refunds and redress: Create an in-app refund/help flow and a customer service path for disputed charges.
• Audit monetization with compliance counsel: Conduct a legal and UX audit to identify dark patterns and correct them before regulators do.

What publishers and platform owners should prepare for

Publishers like Activision Blizzard and platform owners must think beyond fines. The more consequential impacts are changes to product roadmaps, customer trust, and user metrics:

• Revenue model pivoting: Some titles may test subscription or battle-pass-first models to reduce reliance on high-ticket microtransactions.
• Legal exposure in multiple jurisdictions: A successful AGCM action can inspire other EU regulators and consumer class actions.
• Public relations & trust repair: Prepare clear, evidence-backed communications addressing player concerns without minimizing them.
• Cross-functional task forces: Quickly assemble teams across legal, design, analytics, and community to implement required changes and monitor metrics.

How regulators and marketplaces should act — suggestions based on trends

For regulators and app marketplaces, the AGCM’s probes offer lessons for policy design and enforcement:

• Standardize disclosure requirements: Mandate simple labels for virtual currency, purchase odds, and real-money equivalents across the EU.
• Ban specific dark patterns: Define and prohibit a class of UX patterns that exploit cognitive biases to coerce spending.
• Develop rapid remediation pathways: Require platforms to enforce fixes within narrow windows once regulators find violations.
• Promote cross-border enforcement: Consumer harm in digital services is transnational; create data-sharing frameworks for fast action.

Precedents and context — why this isn’t coming out of nowhere

Concerns about loot boxes and pay-to-progress systems have been raised since mid-2010s. The AGCM’s 2026 probes are the next evolution: regulators are shifting from debating whether monetization is problematic to enforcing remedies that change how games operate. Activision Blizzard’s heavy reliance on in-app purchases in top-tier mobile franchises makes the company a high-impact test case — one whose outcome could produce playbook changes for the entire industry.

Forecast: three likely scenarios and their industry impact

Scenario A — Soft remedies with disclosure requirements

If AGCM focuses on transparency, publishers may be required to label virtual currency and show real-money equivalents. This reduces friction for consumers but keeps many revenue mechanics intact. Expect clearer price labels and wallet-level spend summaries.

Scenario B — Structural changes and spending limits

AGCM mandates could require built-in spend caps for minors, ban certain timed-purchase mechanisms, or require opt-in confirmations for significant purchases. This would lead to product redesigns and potentially lower short-term revenues for some live-service titles.

Scenario C — Heavy fines and precedent-setting orders

Large fines plus injunctions could force publishers to rethink monetization entirely — accelerating shifts to subscriptions, battle passes with clear progression, or ad-supported models. This is the most disruptive outcome and would set industry-wide expectations for compliance.

Practical takeaways — what to remember

• This is about consumer protection: The AGCM action focuses on how players — especially minors — are induced to spend without clear information.
• Transparency will be the cheapest compliance path: Showing real-money equivalents and clear choice architecture reduces regulatory risk fast.
• Design matters as much as law: UX audits that remove dark patterns protect revenue in the long term by building trust.

If you want to act right now — step-by-step guide

For players and parents (fast path)

1. Turn on parental controls in your device settings.
2. Review transaction history in the app store and your bank; save evidence of any questionable purchases.
3. Contact the game’s support for refunds; escalate to the app store or your payment provider if needed.
4. If you live in Italy, file a complaint to AGCM. EU residents can use the ODR platform and local consumer protection agencies.

For developers and publishers (fast path)

1. Run a UX audit focused on dark patterns and ambiguous pricing.
2. Implement clear labeling for currency and a help/refund pathway in-app.
3. Set immediate, voluntary spend limits for underage accounts.
4. Engage legal counsel and prepare a public FAQ explaining changes to players.

Final perspective — why this matters beyond two games

While the AGCM probes are focused on Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile, the implications extend across the mobile games economy. Regulators are signaling that they will treat aggressive monetization as a consumer-rights issue — not merely a product design choice. For players, that promises more transparent purchases and stronger protections. For developers and publishers, it means adapting design and business models to prioritize long-term trust over short-term revenue spikes.

Call to action

Stay informed and involved: if you’ve experienced misleading in-game purchases, document the incident and report it to your local consumer protection agency. Developers: run that UX audit this week — the regulatory environment in 2026 favors rapid, transparent fixes. For continuous coverage of how this story develops and practical advice for players and creators, subscribe to our newsletter and join the discussion in our community forums.

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