Teenagers in the US will be banned from buying loot boxes at Genshin Impact without parental permission

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ruled against the US publisher of Genshin Impact, Cognosphere, for misleading children about loot boxes with low winning chances.

Consumer Protection Bureau Director Samuel Levine said that Genshin Impact manipulated young players by selling them loot boxes with deliberately low odds of winning and encouraging them to spend hundreds of dollars:

"Companies that engage in such questionable practices will be held accountable for deceiving players, especially children and teens, about the true cost of in-game purchases."

According to the FTC's decision, Genshin Impact publishers must pay compensation in the amount of $20 million. Also, children under 16 are prohibited from making in-game purchases without parental consent. In addition, HoYoverse is obliged to:

• Add the ability to buy loot boxes for real money, not just for in-game currency.
• Clearly indicate the odds of winning all possible prizes from loot boxes.

This decision will be an important step in regulating the monetisation of games, especially for the young audience in the United States.