Supercell CEO warns crippling EU regulations could kill Europe’s games sector
- New EU guidelines could force every token use to be treated as a financial transaction, he warns.
- Paananen argues that regulations would burden players with red tape while failing to improve protection.
- He calls for evidence-based policymaking and real industry input on the Digital Fairness Act.
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Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen has warned that new EU policies risk damaging Europe’s thriving games industry.
In a letter titled ‘Let’s not kill one of Europe’s few tech success stories’, the Supercell boss noted that titles like Clash of Clans and The Witcher exemplify Europe’s global success in games, even as the broader tech industry lags behind the US and Asia.
Paananen said that proposed EU measures like the Digital Fairness Act and CPC guidelines could deal a serious setback to the continent’s €27 billion ($31bn) games industry.
“The success of the European games industry is deeply personal to me. 2025 marks Supercell’s 15th anniversary,” he said. “When we started in Helsinki in 2010, few believed a small Finnish company could create category-defining titles, which now have over 5bn downloads and serve 250 million monthly players across 120+ countries.
“We’re proof that European innovation can compete globally and there are so many others besides us.”
“Strenthening existing frameworks”
By targeting core features such as in-game currencies – essential for free-to-play models and industry growth – Paananen said regulators risk undermining innovation, jobs, and the player experience.
He also compared in-game currencies to theme park tokens, which make experiences smoother and more enjoyable by replacing repeated cash transactions with a simple, flexible system.
Furthermore, Paananen said that the proposed rules would turn a simple, enjoyable experience into a bureaucratic burden – forcing constant approvals, legal paperwork, and confusing price displays that misrepresent token value.
The result, he stressed, would frustrate users, drive customers away, and fail to offer any real additional protection. He added the proposed EU rules would force developers to treat every in-game token use as a separate financial transaction that would disrupt gameplay and harm player experiences if enshrined into law under the Digital Fairness Act.
“Rather than implementing sweeping regulations that would cripple the industry and fail to protect players, we should strengthen existing frameworks already putting European gamers first,” said Paananen.
He called for meaningful industry involvement in shaping the Digital Fairness Act, arguing that in-game currencies should remain classified as digital content, not financial assets.
