18 European countries call for better regulation of loot boxes following new report Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. 18 European countries call for better regulation of loot boxes following new report Which takes aim at the likes of FIFA 22 and Raid: Shadow Legends. News by Ishraq Subhan Reporter Published on 1 Jun 2022 17 comments A new report commissioned by the Norwegian Consumer Council has concluded that loot boxes in games are "exploitative and predatory." Consumer protection agencies in 18 European countries have backed the report and called for better regulation of video games. The report uses both FIFA 22 and Raid: Shadow Legends as case studies to demonstrate the "wide arsenal of tricks to push consumers into spending as much time and money as possible exploiting consumers hope to receive the reward despite a miniscule chance and likelihood to do so". Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: What's next for FIFA? With respect to FIFA 22, the report highlights the allegedly exploitative nature of FIFA Ultimate Team which encourages players to obtain packs using FIFA Points or Coins, the former of which can only be purchased usung real money. The report cites Eurogamer's extensive coverage of this very issue here and here. Last year, Wesley Yin-Poole interviewed EA Chief Experience Officer Chris Bruzzo on the inclusion of loot boxes on FIFA. On Raid: Shadow Legends, the report describes the game as a gacha game which does "continuously encourage and push players to spend money and/or in- game currency to receive random virtual items". The report also highlights the aggressive forms of in-game marketing, deceptive design and "dark" patterns which encourage players to spend as much money as they can. It concludes with a number of specific recommendations for policymakers, including banning desceptive design practices, listing all in-game purchases in real-world currency, banning loot boxes in games likely to be played by minors, greater transparency into the algorithms and datasets used in lootboxes, and better enforcement by consumer protection agencies. In Europe, the regulation of lootboxes will likely fall on the European Union rather than individual member states. As for the UK, the government did open a public consultation on loot boxes in 2020, but has yet to make a decision based on the outcome of the consulatation. Today we are publishing a report on how the gaming industry exploits consumers using lootboxes 20 organizations in 18 European countries are joining us and call for better regulation of video games. https://t.co/V68erOe2z7#lootbox #gaming #darkpatterns #deceptivedesign pic.twitter.com/BjkzqgqPkG- Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad (@finnmyrstad) May 31, 2022 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 6 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 6 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 6 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store