Malaysia has opened a public consultation on a proposed set of rules for online games, putting loot boxes, gacha mechanics and in-game spending under fresh scrutiny as regulators move to strengthen protections for children and younger players.
The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) launched a 45-day nationwide consultation on its draft Gaming Sub-Code, inviting feedback until October 24, 2026. The proposed Sub-Code would establish sector-specific standards for game developers, publishers, distributors, platforms and other service providers whose games are accessible in Malaysia. It is being developed under CMCF’s self-regulatory framework and is intended to operate alongside the existing Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code and other applicable laws and regulatory requirements, rather than replace them.
The draft covers a broad range of issues: age classification and age assurance, parental controls, in-game purchases, virtual currencies, loot boxes and gacha mechanics, user-generated content, reporting and moderation, bullying and harassment, and protections for younger participants in esports.
Among the specific questions the consultation raises are how a player’s age should shape their in-game experience, whether parental and safety tools are easy enough to find and use, how spending and virtual currencies are presented to younger users, and how clearly chance-based features such as loot boxes and gacha systems are explained. Those mechanics can require players to spend money for a chance at a particular virtual item or reward, a design that has drawn regulatory attention across multiple jurisdictions for its proximity to gambling.
CMCF said the framework is intended to give the industry clearer expectations while recognizing the wide range of games, services and business models operating in the sector. The forum framed the consultation against the way modern gaming blends entertainment, social interaction and digital commerce, exposing younger players to real-money purchases, virtual currencies, interactions with strangers and chance-based rewards. In its words, a child today can spend real money, interact with strangers, encounter persuasive design and compete globally without ever leaving a game.
The draft was assembled with input from a working group spanning Malaysian and international game publishers and technology companies, esports representatives, academics, civil society groups and child-safety advocates. Participants included people connected to major titles and platforms such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MOONTON Games), PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, Roblox, Xbox, PlayStation, Google Play Store and Minecraft, alongside local developers and bodies including the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, SUHAKAM (the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) and Protect and Save the Children.
CMCF Chairman Datuk Rafiq Razali said gaming today brings entertainment, social interaction and spending into the same space, and that safeguards need to keep pace as these features evolve, particularly for younger players. He said good standards cannot be built without understanding how games actually work, which is why developers, publishers, platforms, esports stakeholders, child-safety experts and users were brought into the same discussions. The aim, he added, is to create safeguards that work for both Malaysian users and the industry while remaining adaptable to a fast-changing sector.
The consultation drew support from working-group members on the esports side. Ahmed Faris bin Amir, chief executive of Impact Integrated, said Malaysia’s esports ecosystem is growing quickly and that it makes sense to put clearer safeguards in place now, while the sector is evolving, rather than waiting for poor practices to become entrenched. Esports educator Andrew Cheong, known as Sir Cloud, said clearer information on virtual currencies would help players and parents make better financial decisions.
CMCF said public feedback matters because decisions on gaming should reflect the experiences of players and families, not just industry and regulatory views. Gamers, parents, publishers, consumer groups, civil society organizations and other interested parties can review the draft and submit feedback through the CMCF website during the consultation window, and can also contact the forum to arrange a dedicated town hall session for a more detailed walkthrough. Once the consultation closes on October 24th, CMCF said it will review and consolidate the submissions received before finalizing the Gaming Sub-Code.
