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

Cognosphere, the U.S. 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 $20 million in damages and will implement measures to prevent minors under 16 from making in-game purchases without parental consent. The company also entered a guilty plea to the FTC's allegations.

The FTC accused Cognosphere of deceiving players about the value of in-game purchases and the probability of obtaining rare items, in addition to violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). These deceptive practices led children, teenagers, and other players to spend significant amounts of money on items with a 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 young ones, about the true value of in-game transactions will face repercussions.

Meanwhile, HoYoverse's other game, Zenless Zone Zero, continues to dominate the mobile gaming market. The release of the version 1.4 update, "And the Starfall came," saw the game achieve a record-breaking $8.6 million in daily player spending on mobile devices alone. This surpassed the previous peak set in July 2024.

According to AppMagic, Zenless Zone Zero has now generated over $265 million in total revenue from mobile devices. The 1.4 update introduced new agents such as Hoshimi Miyabi and Asaba Harumasa, along with new locations, modes, and enhanced game mechanics, all of which have spurred increased player spending.