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

Cognosphere, the U.S. publisher of the popular game Genshin Impact, has accepted charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As part of the settlement, Cognosphere has agreed to pay $20 million in damages and will prohibit minors under the age of 16 from making in-game purchases without parental consent. The company also pleaded guilty to the FTC's charges, which include violating the Children's Privacy Act and deceiving players about the true value of in-game purchases and the likelihood of obtaining rare items. This deceptive practice led children, teenagers, and other players to spend hundreds of dollars on items with a very low chance of acquisition.

Samuel Levin, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, emphasized that companies employing dark patterns to mislead players, especially children and teenagers, about the value of in-game transactions will face repercussions.

Meanwhile, another game from HoYoverse, Zenless Zone Zero, continues to thrive in the mobile gaming market. With the release of its version 1.4 update, "And the Starfall came," the game set a new record by generating $8.6 million in daily player spending on mobile devices. This surpassed the previous peak achieved during its July 2024 release. According to AppMagic, Zenless Zone Zero has now amassed over $265 million in total revenue from mobile platforms. The latest update introduced new agents, such as Hoshimi Miyabi and Asaba Harumasa, along with new locations, modes, and enhanced game mechanics, all of which have encouraged increased player spending.