Complaints against Hutch Games (A23-1196857; A23-1196862)

• Issue: Rebel Racing failed to disclose the presence of in-game purchases involving randomisation (e.g., loot boxes or so-called ‘random item purchasing’) on the Google Play Store, and F1 Clash failed to do so on the Apple App Store.

• Results: Both store listings were found to have been misleading advertising due to omitting material information (i.e., loot box presence).

• Impact: All app store product listing pages must disclose loot box presence.

Complaints against Miniclip (A23-1216455), Jagex (A23-1216471), and Electronic Arts (A23-1222185)

• Issue: Ads for 8 Ball Pool, RuneScape, and Golf Clash appearing on social media (specifically, Facebook) failed to disclose the presence of (i) in-game purchases in general and/or (ii) loot boxes specifically.

• Results: The social media ads were found to have been misleading advertising due to omitting material information (i.e., the presence of (i) in-game purchases and (ii) loot boxes).

• Impact: Social media ads must disclose in-game purchase and loot box presence.

Complaint against Electronic Arts (A24-1239057)

• Issue: A Facebook ad for 8 Ball Pool failed to visually prominently disclose the presence of (i) in-game purchases in general and/or (ii) loot boxes specifically.

• Results: The ad was found to have been misleading advertising due to failing to visually prominently disclose material information.

• Impact: Ads must must disclose in-game purchase and loot box presence visually prominently.

Complaints against various other companies (including Blizzard Entertainment, Supercell, Argos)

• Issue: Failure to disclose loot box or generic in-game purchase presence.

• Results: Informally resolved through either referral to the ASA compliance team or the provision of advice.

• Impact: The Spring/Summer 2025 issue of the Argos Gamer brochure was compliant after complaints against the two previous issues (A24-1252848).

Complaints against Digit Game Studios (42627) and Playrix (43390)

• Issue: Star Trek Fleet Command and Township failed to disclose loot box presence on the Apple App Store.

• Results: Informally resolved through the relevant company updating their product listings to disclose loot box presence.

• Impact: Confirmed that app store product listings in Ireland must disclose loot box presence.

Complaint against MY.GAMES B.V. (2024/00251)

• Issues: Rush Royale, inter alia, (i) failed to disclose loot box presence on the Apple App Store; (ii) failed to disclose loot box probabilities; (iii) failed to provide an equivalent price in euros for in-game purchase offers; (iii) directly exhorted children to make in-game purchases; (iv) falsely advertised paid in-game items as free; (v) failed to disclose the presence of in-game advertising and the identities of the advertisers; and (vi) illegally encouraged children to advertise on the company's behalf.

• First Instance Result: All points were upheld on the basis of Dutch advertising regulations in favour of the consumer, except that point (iii) was not considered due to (iv) having been successful. However, point (iii) almost certainly would have been upheld anyway.

• First Appeal Result: The advertiser made an appeal on all points that was without any merit. The appeal ruling upheld all points of the first instance ruling.

• Final Appeal Result: The advertiser made a final appeal on all points that was again without any merit. The final appeal ruling upheld all points of the first instance ruling.

• Impact: Besides the specific points, confirmed that, unsurprisingly, basic advertising rules and consumer law also apply to the video game context.

Complaint against Plaion

• Issue: PEGI age rating information for Hunt: Showdown Bounty Hunter - Limited Edition failed to disclose loot box presence.

• Results: Age rating information amended to additionally disclose loot box presence. Plaion fined €5,000 for breaching the PEGI Code of Conduct.

• Impact: Better information provided to consumers. Deterrence against future non-compliance.

• Bonus: Diablo Immortal by Activision Blizzard was also discovered as having breached the same rule. The same sanction was applied.

Complaint against Warner Bros. Entertainment

• Issue: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga did NOT contain loot boxes but inaccurately disclosed their presence on the game’s physical packaging.

• Results: The artwork was corrected, and new print runs no longer display inaccurate information. A suspended fine of €5,000 was issued.

• Impact: More accurate information provided to consumers. Deterrence against future non-compliance. False negatives should also be avoided.

Complaint against miHoYo Limited

• Issue: ESRB age rating information for Genshin Impact failed to disclose loot box presence.

• Results: Age rating information amended to additionally disclose loot box presence. The sanctions imposed against miHoYo (if any) have not been published.

• Impact: Better information provided to consumers. Deterrence against future non-compliance.

• Bonus: Diablo Immortal by Activision Blizzard was also discovered as having breached the same rule. The same sanction was applied.

• Issue: IARC age rating information for 79 video games on the Google Play Store failed to disclose loot box presence.

• Results: Age rating information amended to additionally disclose loot box presence.

• Impact: Better information provided to consumers.

Complaints against 1News and 1News Online

• Issue: A 1News segment shown on 24 July 2023 on TVNZ 1 and its accompanying 1News Online article provided inaccurate information as to how the UK will regulate loot boxes (specifically, an incorrect reference to how the UK will ban loot boxes for under-18s).

• Results: The broadcast breached Standard 6 of the Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand (Accuracy), whilst the online article separately breached Principle 1 of the New Zealand Media Council Statement of Principles (Accuracy, Fairness and Balance).

• Impact: The relevant online publications were amended. The offending video recording was removed, and the text was corrected. More accurate information is provided to the New Zealand public.