The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned mobile game advertisements from King, Loom Games, Omnilojo and Vistrex after finding that they misrepresented gameplay. The regulator said ads must give consumers an accurate impression of what a game offers and must not depict scenarios or features that are not representative of the experience.
One banned Facebook ad for King’s Farm Heroes Saga showed players matching icons to make nails fall and a saw move toward a cow. The ASA found those mechanics were not part of the game and presented a scenario players could not actually achieve. King described the additions as fictional elements intended to create urgency and pointed to a “Not actual gameplay” disclaimer. The regulator said the disclaimer conflicted with, rather than clarified, the overall impression of the ad.
An advertisement for Loom Games’ Pixel Flow was also banned because it featured elements that were not present in the game. Scopely acquired a majority stake in Loom Games earlier this year.
The ASA ruled that three Google Ads for Omnilojo’s Dark War Survival used cinematic story sequences rather than interactive gameplay, while also showing graphics that differed materially from the game. One ad included badges suggesting the game had won awards, including “2026 Game Creative” and “2026 Survival Game.” Omnilojo said the badges referred to the game being featured on Google Play and the App Store, but the ASA found them misleading.
A separate ad for Vistrex’s Idle Zombie Miner: Gold Tycoon, shown on Facebook and Google Play, was banned for highlighting content from a 60-second minigame instead of representing the wider game.
ASA senior investigative officer Freddie Alcock said the regulator would continue to act against mobile game ads that break its rules, so consumers can make informed decisions about games they choose to buy or download.
Sources: GamesIndustry.biz.