The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has decided to issue corrective orders and impose fines on three companies—Com2uS Holdings, Cosmos Entertainment, and IToxi—for misleading players about in-game item types and drop rates.

On the 8th, the KFTC announced that it had uncovered violations of the Electronic Commerce Act by these three online game publishers, resulting in a total fine of 22.5 million won and formal corrective orders. The titles involved are Com2uS Holdings' Soul Strike and Zenonia, Cosmos Entertainment's Online Three Kingdoms 2, and IToxi's Super Girls Battle.

First off, Com2uS Holdings misled players in the 'Black Market' content of Soul Strike. Although mythic-grade items were obtainable from level 3, the developer stated they were only available from level 4, effectively nudging players into unnecessary level-ups. Furthermore, while the 'Permanent Ad Removal Package' and '30-Day Ad Removal Package' promised the total removal of ads, only video ads were actually removed, leaving pop-up ads still cluttering the experience.

In Zenonia, the equipment enhancement item 'Shining Refinement Stone' was touted as having a higher success rate for better stat rolls than standard refinement stones. As it turns out, the success rates were identical. Consequently, the KFTC slapped Com2uS Holdings with a total fine of 7.5 million won and issued a corrective order.

Cosmos Entertainment misled players in Online Three Kingdoms 2 by listing seven items, including the 'Growth Box (Special),' as obtainable on the 'Northern Expedition Server' when they were actually exclusive to the 'Master Server.' Additionally, the company failed to disclose that the 'VIP Application Document (1-Day)' item lacked the 'Acceleration Pill Buff,' leading to a 10 million won fine and a corrective order.

IToxi was also caught in the crosshairs for Super Girls Battle. The developer provided probability information for a character summon that included 29 items, 10 of which had not even been released yet, creating the illusion that all were obtainable. This oversight earned IToxi a 5 million won fine and a corrective order.

The KFTC stated, "While probability-based items have become a primary revenue stream in the online game market, some companies have engaged in deceptive practices against consumers." The official added, "This measure is significant in reducing information asymmetry between game companies and consumers, thereby strengthening consumer choice. The KFTC will continue to monitor for deceptive acts, strictly sanction any identified violations, and ensure the law is enforced to provide redress for consumer damages."