Mobile game ads from King and Scopely banned by ASA

Watchdog rules mobile game adverts painted a false picture

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued rulings against King, Loom Games, Omnilojo and Vistrex, covering promotional material for Farm Heroes Saga, Pixel Flow, Dark War Survival and Idle Zombie Miner: Gold Tycoon. 

Loom Games, which developed Pixel Flow, is majority-owned by Scopely.

Some of the most extensive complaints involved Omnilojo, which had three Google adverts for Dark War Survival banned, according to GamesIndustry.biz. 

The promotions featured dramatic story sequences that were not part of the game's actual experience, while the visuals also looked noticeably different from the finished product.

60-second minigame lands Idle Zombie Miner in trouble

The watchdog also took issue with one advert's use of two badges labelled "2026 Game Creative" and "2026 Survival Game". 

Omnilojo maintained that these were intended to highlight the title's availability on Google Play and the App Store, but the ASA found that viewers could interpret them as evidence of awards the game had won.

Another ruling concerned Vistrex, also known as Royal Ark Games. Its adverts for Idle Zombie Miner: Gold Tycoon, which appeared on Facebook and Google Play, showed a short minigame lasting around 60 seconds. 

The ASA concluded that this footage did not give viewers a fair representation of the wider game.

ASA rejects King’s excuse over misleading Farm Heroes Saga advert

King's Farm Heroes Saga also fell foul of the rules after a Facebook advert showed a player matching puzzle icons while a saw swung towards a cow. 

The regulator found that the scenario was not available in the actual game. 

King defended the promotion by pointing to a "Not actual gameplay" disclaimer, but the ASA said this did not resolve the misleading impression created by the footage.

The decisions reflect the regulator's continued scrutiny of how digital products are marketed to consumers. 

Freddie Alcock, the ASA's senior investigative officer, stressed that game publishers must make sure their promotions accurately show what players can expect.

"Mobile game ads must give people an accurate impression of the gameplay…" he said, warning that the regulator would continue to take action against adverts that breach its standards.