Mobile games whose ads were officially ruled misleading

These are the only cases on this site where an advertising regulator examined the ad, compared it against the actual game, and ruled against the advertiser. Everything else here rests on press coverage or player reports.

Every ruling listed comes from the UK Advertising Standards Authority, which means two things. It binds only the UK, so the same creatives often keep running everywhere else. And it applies the CAP Code, whose test has tightened over time: an early ruling asked whether the ad showed mechanics that exist in the game, while a later one asked whether the ad reflects the game's core playing experience. Under the second test, showing real gameplay is not a defence if that gameplay is a side activity.

Two defences have been tried and rejected. A small-print disclaimer saying the footage may not represent actual gameplay does not cure a misleading ad. And describing an ad as a cinematic representation of the game's themes does not exempt it if a viewer would read it as gameplay.