Apple Updates App Store Guidelines: Loot Box Odds Must Be Disclosed

In a breath of fresh air, a powerful platform owner has updated their policy in a way that is beneficial to customers. An update to the Apple App Store Review Guidelines states that all apps offering "loot boxes" or similar mechanics must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item prior to purchase. The full text, from the official guidelines can be seen below:

Apps offering “loot boxes” or other mechanisms that provide randomized virtual items for purchase must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase.

The effects of this move will likely be far reaching. The Chinese government beat Apple to the punch by a year, but it is now quite likely that Google will follow Apple's lead with similar requirements in their Play Store. Loot boxes have become a hot button issue in the gaming community with the release of EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2. EA's decision to lock many popular characters and account progression behind loot boxes caused a massive player pushback, eventually forcing EA to back down. Despite being derided by many PC and console gamers, mobile phones are now the primary gaming platform worldwide by revenue. The standards set on mobile platforms like the App Store and Play Store will have immediate effects across the gaming industry. For example, expect PC Hearthstone players to benefit immediately from Apple's move.

Further Reading: Apple App Store Developer Guidelines - Section 3.1 Payments