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Italy’s competition and consumer-protection authority announced investigations on 16 January 2026 into Activision Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) is examining whether the games’ sales and account practices may mislead or pressure consumers and breach their contractual rights. These are allegations and questions under investigation—not a finding that Activision Blizzard broke the law.
What the Italian authority is examining
AGCM describes both games as free-to-play titles that offer in-game purchases. Its announcement says the investigations concern possible misleading and aggressive commercial practices and possible breaches of consumers’ contractual rights. The authority identifies several areas of concern; none should be read as an established violation.
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Purchase prompts, offers and virtual currency
AGCM is examining whether interface design encourages users to play more often or for longer and to take up promoted offers. Its examples include repeated prompts during and outside gameplay, in-app messages and push notifications urging players not to miss rewards, and offers for time-limited items.
The authority also says the real-world value of virtual currency may be difficult for users to understand and that currency is sold in predetermined bundles. AGCM says these features may contribute to significant spending that users, including minors, do not sufficiently understand. The announcement does not give a spending total, the number of affected players or a prevalence estimate.
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Parental controls and registration choices
AGCM says parental-control defaults appear to permit in-game purchases, unlimited play time and interaction with other players unless a parent actively selects different settings. It is also examining the choices presented during account registration, including consent to commercial profiling.
Contractual rights and blocked accounts
The authority is looking at whether players receive clear information about contractual rights, including a cooling-off period. It is also examining account blocking without what AGCM considers adequate reasons, assistance or an opportunity for the player to respond. AGCM says a block could leave players losing money spent on digital content.
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- To use your Battle.net Balance, simply select it as your payment method during the purchase process.
- Payments can be split between Battle.net Balance and other preferred payment methods*, allowing you to use up any leftover balance in the process. * Product currency must match Balance Currency. Disabled for some payment methods with long expiration times.
- eGift Cards are delivered active via email or SMS.
What the announcement does—and does not—establish
The verified announcement is dated 16 January 2026 and identifies the proceedings as PS13020-PS13039. AGCM’s English-language release describes the investigations and concerns; its official Italian announcement corroborates the account. The announcement is not a final decision on liability, and it does not establish that sanctions or remedies have been imposed.
The reviewed official materials confirm the launch announcement but do not establish a later outcome or current procedural status. Accordingly, they do not show whether the proceedings remain open, have concluded, or have resulted in commitments or sanctions. The AGCM announcement and its press-release index are the relevant official records for the announcement.
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- Load up your balance using one of many different payment methods, then spend it on Battle.net games, services, in-game items, and more!
- To use your Battle.net Balance, simply select it as your payment method during the purchase process.
- Payments can be split between Battle.net Balance and other preferred payment methods*, allowing you to use up any leftover balance in the process. * Product currency must match Balance Currency. Disabled for some payment methods with long expiration times.
- eGift Cards are delivered active via email or SMS.
Why a 2020 Activision case is different
AGCM previously handled a separate proceeding, PS11595, concerning Overwatch and Hearthstone. Decision 28452, adopted on 17 November 2020, accepted commitments and closed that proceeding without establishing an infringement. It concerned different games and is not an outcome in the 2026 investigations.
| Proceeding | Games | Status established by the cited record |
|---|---|---|
| PS11595, Decision 28452, 17 November 2020 | Overwatch and Hearthstone | Commitments accepted; closed without an infringement finding. AGCM decision |
| PS13020-PS13039, announcement of 16 January 2026 | Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile | Investigation launch announced; the reviewed announcement does not establish a later disposition. AGCM announcement |
What players and families can take from the case
The announcement puts spending transparency, purchase prompts, parental settings, registration consent and account access at the center of AGCM’s inquiry. It does not determine whether a particular player was misled, whether a specific purchase is refundable, or what changes—if any—the company may be required to make. Those questions would depend on later findings or an individual consumer’s circumstances.
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