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

Cognosphere, the U.S. publisher of Genshin Impact, has agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), pleading guilty to charges that include deceptive practices and violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The settlement includes a $20 million penalty and a requirement that minors under 16 obtain parental consent for in-game purchases. The FTC alleged Cognosphere misled players about the value of in-game purchases and the probability of obtaining rare items, leading children and teenagers to spend significant sums on items with low acquisition chances. FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levin emphasized that companies using deceptive "dark patterns" to manipulate players, especially children, will face repercussions.

Meanwhile, HoYoverse's other title, Zenless Zone Zero, continues its strong performance in the mobile gaming market. The game recently saw a surge in player spending, reaching a record $8.6 million per day on mobile devices following the release of its version 1.4 update, "And the Starfall Came." This surpasses the game's previous peak achieved in July 2024. AppMagic data indicates Zenless Zone Zero has already generated over $265 million in mobile revenue. Update 1.4 introduced new characters (Hoshimi Miyabi and Asaba Harumasa), locations, game modes, and gameplay improvements, contributing to the increased player spending.