The authors of Genshin Impact were forced to ban selling lootboxes to children and fined $20 million dollars

Cognosphere, the US publisher behind the popular game Genshin Impact, has accepted charges brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As part of the settlement, Cognosphere has agreed to pay a hefty $20 million in damages. Additionally, they will implement a policy prohibiting minors under the age of 16 from making in-game purchases without parental permission. This action follows Cognosphere's guilty plea to the FTC's charges, which accused the company of not only violating the Children's Privacy Act but also deliberately misleading players about the value of in-game purchases and the odds of obtaining rare items. This deception led many children, teenagers, and other players to spend substantial amounts of money chasing after items they were unlikely to acquire.

Samuel Levin, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, emphasized that companies using deceptive practices, known as "dark patterns," to mislead consumers, especially young players, about the true worth of in-game transactions, will face repercussions.

In other gaming news, HoYoverse's Zenless Zone Zero continues to dominate the mobile gaming market. The release of version 1.4, "And the Starfall came," saw the game achieve a record-breaking $8.6 million in daily player spending on mobile devices alone. This peak follows the game's impressive performance since its launch in July 2024. According to AppMagic, Zenless Zone Zero has amassed over $265 million in total revenue from mobile platforms. The success of the 1.4 update can be attributed to the introduction of new agents, Hoshimi Miyabi and Asaba Harumasa, along with new locations, game modes, and enhanced mechanics, all of which have spurred increased player engagement and spending.