Wittels McInturff Palikovic is investigating numerous complaints from consumers regarding video game company Nexters and its multiplayer fantasy role-playing game for mobile and desktop devices, called Hero Wars. Consumers have complained about Hero Wars and its potentially illegal practices including: locking consumers into subscriptions that they cannot cancel, false sales practices, manipulation of game mechanics that render consumer in-game purchases worthless, using casino-style methods to extract payments from players, and the RPG’s pay-to-win model.
Upon investigation, evidence suggests that Nexters may have lured users into installing and playing Hero Wars through misleading ads on social media platforms, in other app-based games, and elsewhere online. The ads suggest Hero Wars is a problem-solving game, but once consumers begin to play the game, they report that none of the featured activities in the ads are actually present in gameplay. Evidence further suggests that advancing in the game requires making in-game purchases, in what is commonly called “pay to win” in the gaming industry. Many consumers report signing up for recurring payments that were then impossible to cancel, and that the company makes obtaining refunds for purchases intentionally difficult, and it take months to receive a refund when allowed. Consumers complain that Hero Wars is a “dressed up slot machine with bad odds” and that it costs thousands of dollars to make “meaningful progress.” Consumers also accuse Hero Wars of using “psychological addiction tactics” to “milk players out of their money.” Consumers further accuse Hero Wars of advertising promotional “sale” prices of 80% to 90% off for in-app purchases, but in fact the prices remain the same at all times and the company is not offering a meaningful discount. WMP has already filed class actions against companies that have engaged in similar practices and may file similar lawsuits on behalf of Hero Wars users to recover unauthorized charges and other damages.
If you are or were previously a Hero Wars customer and suffered from unauthorized charges, trouble canceling your membership or subscription, paying false sales prices, or had other issues with the game, you are not alone! We urge you to contact a class action attorney at WMP for a free case evaluation. Should a lawsuit be brought, there is no cost or fee involved in joining the case. You can contact us by clicking here, calling (914) 775-8862, or emailing us at case@wittelslaw.com.