14 April 2025
Privacy Policy
Purpose and subject matter of this Privacy Policy
We, Gameforge 4D GmbH (‘Gameforge
’
or ‘we
’
), provide client and browser
-
based online games as
well as offline games. On our platforms, which comprise our internet
pages, forums, support,
newsletter and online games (‘Gameforge services
’
), we provide information and exchange about our
games and their use.
This
s
hould be as pleasant, fair and trouble
-
free as possible for all users. In order
to ensure this and the
long
-
term success of our services, Gameforge services are continuously
improved.
Here it is unavoidable that information about the individual user and their hardware is collected,
stored and ultimately used to fulfil different purposes.
The trust of our community is of the utmost importance to us. In this Privacy Policy covering the
Gameforge services we wish to provide you with a complete picture of how we use
your personal data and what rights you have with regard to this data. This Pri
vacy Policy provides
comprehensive information regarding the ways in which we process your data, what we do with
your data and the legal basis upon which we do this.
Your rights and our obligations regarding how we deal with your data have a very high priority for
us. We only process your data where absolutely necessary, doing so in a secure and responsible
manner, with the greatest care and attention to the legal requ
irements.
1. Details regarding data controller and data protection officer
We want to live up to your trust. You can contact us for any questions, suggestions or complaints
you may have regarding the way we handle your data in general, or with regards to this Privacy
Policy in particular.
1.1 Data controller
The data controller responsible for processing personal data is Gameforge 4D GmbH, Albert
-
Nestler
Strasse 8, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. We can be contacted for general enquiries regarding data
protection at the address provided, by email at info@gameforge.c
om, through our ticket support
system or by fax message at +49 (0)721 354 808 152. We kindly ask you to send us cancellation requests
(in accordance with 6.3) via https://support.gameforge.com/ or by e
-
mail to info@gameforge.com.
1.2 Data protection officer contact details
You may also contact our
data protection officer (Dr. Tobias Gräber, LL.M.) in confidence using the
contact details provided above, by email at datenschutz@gameforge.com or by fax message at +49
(0)721 354 808 159.
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2. General information regarding data we process and how we
collect it
In this section we inform you how we collect your data.
2.1 Legal basis for processing data
We ensure from the moment of collecting your data that this is done in a reliable, transparent and
appropriate manner. In judging whether we have the right to collect data, and how this data is to be
processed, we orientate ourselves closely on the require
ments of applicable law, in particular on the
provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (‘
GDPR
’), the Data Protection Act of the
Federal Republic of Germany and other legal provisions relating to the handling of personal data.
2.2 Data automatically collected by us
When using Gameforge services, system and user
-
related data is collected automatically and
without any further action on the part of the user. For example, when you visit a Gameforge web
page, the general specifications of your internet browser (e.g. type
and version), time of access and
the related IP address (an individual address associated with your internet connection at this time),
as well as system configuration details (e.g. screen resolution and operating system version) are
collected and recorded
in server logs. As a rule, this information is not used to identify a specific
internet user.
In the same way, when you log into a Gameforge account (e.g. when logging into a user account for
our forums, support or one of our online games), corresponding data may be collected
automatically. You can find more information about this in sections 3 to
5.
This data is processed for the purposes of safeguarding the company’s legitimate interests (GDPR
Article 6(1)(f)) to ensure the secure and smooth operation of Gameforge services, their optimisation,
and for the registration, performance or termination of t
he user agreement with you (GDPR Article
6(1)(b)).
2.3 Data generated by us
In the process of registering a Gameforge account, and during its subsequent use, we generate data
at different times and for different reasons.
This includes an individual username. This identification (e.g. account or character IDs) serves the
purpose of pseudonymisation and is required for technical reasons, for example for logging into and
using a user account or for saving information concerni
ng payment transactions separately. With
regards to the data generated by us, this also includes data which may be recorded by our support
team or community management for the purposes of carrying out their tasks. Where there is
suspicion that there has b
een a violation of our rules of the game and Standard Terms of Use, this
may include checking and documenting the facts of the case and, if necessary, issuing warnings, but
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potentially also comments in favour of the user concerned, such as special authorisations permitted
in individual cases by the respective rules of the game.
This data is processed for the purposes of safeguarding the company’s legitimate interests (GDPR
Article 6(1)(f)) to ensure the secure and smooth operation of Gameforge services, their optimisation,
and for the registration, performance or termination of t
he user agreement with you (GDPR Article
6(1)(b)).
2.4 Data provided by
users
The majority of the personal data we process is provided directly by our users. When registering an
account, we ask you to provide an e
-
mail address, a password and, if applicable, an account name. We
do not collect any further information for reasons of d
ata minimisation. We recommend that all users
only enter pseudonymised data when registering. This means that, if possible, you should refrain from
entering an e
-
mail address or account name that contains your real name. By using pseudonymous
data on the I
nternet, you can protect your privacy in the best possible way. Basic information is
collected when registering a Gameforge account (generally your email address and chosen
pseudonym to identify your user account, your game characters and other game elemen
ts). As a rule,
we do not collect any specific data such as the user’s name, date of birth or address.
The data provided by users also includes the content they have written (for example, texts written in
a forum or within the game or other messages sent to us by a user).
Generally, the basic versions of online games offered by us can be used free of charge. However, the
user has the option to purchase additional content. For such transactions, users therefore provide us
with information that is required by us or our paymen
t service providers in order to complete the
payment.
This data is processed for the purposes of safeguarding the company’s legitimate interests (GDPR
Article 6(1)(f)) to ensure the secure and smooth operation of Gameforge services, their optimisation,
and for the registration, performance or termination of a
user agreement (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
2.5 Data we collect from external sources
In some cases we receive personal data from third parties. This is primarily the case when using a
third
-
party login (for example, when logging into Gameforge services via a Facebook or Steam
account). The data thus obtained shall be limited to what is nec
essary for the login in question.
However, the respective third
-
party provider is responsible for the scope of the transmitted data.
We therefore recommend that you read the data protection regulations of the third
-
party provider
carefully before using a
corresponding login option.
This data is processed for the purposes of safeguarding the company’s legitimate interests (GDPR
Article 6(1)(f)) to ensure the secure and smooth operation of Gameforge services, their optimisation,
and for the registration, performance or termination of the user agreement with you (GDPR Article
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6(1)(b)).
2.6 Voluntary provision and processing
The provision of personal data and the associated use of Gameforge services are entirely voluntary.
The use of Gameforge services, however, may require the provision and processing of certain data
for technical or contractual reasons. For the registration
of a user account, for example, the
provision of a valid email address is essential and in order to complete a payment transaction, the
necessary information must be provided.
For this reason, failure to provide the necessary data may mean that we are unable to provide
certain services. Equally certain rights may be exercised in individual cases which mean that we are
unable to provide our services to the contractually agreed ex
tent. Should this occur, we will inform
the person in question of the consequences in each individual case.
3. Special details regarding scope and purpose
In this section we explain comprehensively in which specific cases we process your data.
The data is processed directly by Gameforge within the territory of the Federal
Republic of
Germany. Should in individual cases personal data be processed by a different body, such as a
company associated with us or a service provider, potentially in a third country (outside of the
European Union or the European Economic Area), this w
ill always proceed within the legal
framework and on the basis of a contract with the respective third party which stipulates
compliance with all relevant data protection regulations.
3.1 Advertising on third
-
party sites and links to our website
Like many other companies, we advertise our services on external websites. A typical example are
banner adverts, which are displayed on third
-
party websites as a graphic advertising one of the
online games we offer and linking to the corresponding Gameforg
e web page via a hyperlink. Our
partners do not provide such advertisements free of charge. The success of the advertising
campaign is decisive in calculating the partner’s remuneration. In order to determine this, an ID is
generated when a user clicks on
the advertisement. This ID is then allocated to the user’s account
when they subsequently register for a Gameforge account. This enables us to determine the number
of new users we have gained through the campaign in question. Finally, the advertising part
ner
receives a complete overview of these registrations from us and issues us an invoice based on
these. In some cases, partners also receive remuneration in the event that a customer completes a
payment transaction. However, we do not pass on personal inf
ormation about individual users to
our advertising partners.
When surfing external websites, the site operator may also set cookies (see 3.6) or create a device
ID or a fingerprint (an individual value calculated from the sum of different characteristics of a
user’s system) that enable the respective provider to tra
ck the surfing behaviour of its visitors. We
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therefore recommend that you always read the data protection provisions of a page you visit
carefully.
Gameforge has no interest in tracking the external surfing behaviour of its users. However, we have
a legitimate interest in finding out from which websites or through which advertising campaigns our
customers have found their way to us and which areas of
Gameforge’s services are of particular
interest to users (see sections 3.5 and 3.7).
This data is processed for the purposes of safeguarding our legitimate interests (GDPR Article
6(1)(f)) in promoting Gameforge services and the evaluation and billing of our advertising
campaigns.
3.2 Visiting our web pages without registering
To the greatest possible extent, the Gameforge web pages can be visited anonymously to gain
information about our online games. Registering on the website is only necessary if you wish to use
functions that require a Gameforge account. For example, partici
pation in our games or forums is
only possible once you register and log into your new Gameforge account. Irrespective of this,
personal data may be collected and processed by us without registration in the following instances.
3.2.2 Server logs
In using Gameforge services, server logs are created (see 2.2 and 3.13) which log certain connection
and usage activities.
For example, page views, times of access, the registration of a user account and the IP address
allocated to your internet connection are recorded for the purposes of identifying and preventing
cyberattacks or attempted manipulation, as well as for statist
ical analysis and the improvement of
Gameforge services. Where necessary, other technical details such as the MAC address (the network
address of your network adapter) or similar identifying features may be recorded.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) to ensure the
smooth and secure operation of the Gameforge services as well as their optimisation.
3.2.3 Downloads
We offer various download options on the Gameforge websites and in connection with other
Gameforge services. For example, you may download the contents of this Privacy Policy or
download client software necessary for using an online game to your hard drive
via your browser.
Updates for our online games can also be obtained via the client software or the launcher.
For this purpose, a connection is made between your system and our download servers. The time of
the download, the file downloaded and your IP address and other hardware specifications may be
recorded for technical reasons, and for the purposes of IT secur
ity and optimising Gameforge
services.
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This data is processed for the purposes of safeguarding the company’s legitimate interests (GDPR
Article 6(1)(f)) to ensure the secure and smooth operation of Gameforge services, their optimisation,
and for the initiation and performance of the user agreem
ent with you (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
3.3 Communication with Gameforge
Our community is welcome to contact us for all general questions relating to Gameforge and
Gameforge services. We are also happy to answer questions relating to this Privacy Policy and data
protection at Gameforge. There are a number of ways you can contact us. Certain personal data will
be recorded when using one of these channels.
In processing this data when you contact us, we exercise our legitimate interests (GDPR Article
6(1)(f)) for the purposes of remaining in contact with you, potential contract partners and others
who may contact us. In as far as a message aims at the conclu
sion of a contract between us and the
enquiring person, or for clarifying contractual issues, processing this data may serve as the basis for
initiating, executing or terminating a corresponding contract (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)). In individual
cases this ma
y be necessary to fulfil a legal obligation we are subject to (GDPR Article 6(1)(c)).
3.3.1 Contacting us by email
We receive the sender’s email and IP address and the contents of the message when an email is sent
to us.
3.3.2 Contacting us by fax
When contacted by fax, we receive the sender’s fax number, in addition to the contents of the
message
.
3.3.3 Contacting us by post
You can of course also contact us by post. In this case we receive the contents of the message and
the postal address provided by the sender.
3.3.4 Contacting us via our support department
We provide our users support as
described in 3.4.
3
When using this Gameforge service, the email
address, the IP address, the contents of the messages and such data that arises during the general
use of Gameforge web pages are collected.
3.3.5 Contacting us via social networks
We also have a presence on social networks such as Facebook and other external platforms. It is
generally possible to contact us via the channels provided there (e.g. private messages or wall
postings). In so doing we receive the information which is typic
ally visible when using such
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messages (e.g. the username used on the social network). We recommend that you read the privacy
policy and terms of use of the relevant platform before using this contact method.
3.4. Registering and using a Gameforge account
When using Gameforge services, you can create personal user accounts in accordance with our
Standard Terms of Use and the relevant rules of the game. Such Gameforge accounts can be
registered for individual Gameforge services such as game pages, forums, su
pport or online games.
In the future, it may also be possible to create a central Gameforge account for all Gameforge
services.
The respective Gameforge services serve different purposes. Depending on the Gameforge service
used, different personal data is therefore processed as a result of registering and using a Gameforge
account.
3.4.1 Registering and using an account for our game pages and optional payment processes
The purpose of the game pages is first of all
to provide information about the corresponding online
game.
As a rule, contracts of use are also concluded between you and us and the subsequent use and
management of your Gameforge account is made possible. As part of the registration process, we
create a Gameforge account for you with the data you provide and the
data we generate, such as an
account ID, and record the time of registration. At the end of the process you will receive a message
from us to the email address you have provided confirming the registration of your Gameforge
account. In addition to the su
mmary of your basic information, this message may contain an
activation link that you can use to confirm your email address. This confirmation, the IP address
assigned to you and the confirmation time will be stored by us for verification purposes.
In this way, we will also send you contract
-
related notifications such as confirmation of changes to
your password or the email address provided, as well as information about changes to your contract
status.
When using the game pages, basic information, usage and (when carrying out an optional payment
process) billing data are processed. By basic information we mean the registration information of
the Gameforge account, such as its pseudonym, the email address
provided, the account IDs and, if
applicable, character IDs or comparable characteristics, as well as the time of registration and the
encrypted password selected by the user. Usage data comprises information that arises in the
context of the actual use
of a Gameforge service. This includes the IP address, time of use and the
Gameforge pages visited. We use this information to identify suspicious logins and to process your
requests for support. We also use this data to ensure compliance with our terms of
use and, for
example, to detect and prevent inadmissible multiple registrations.
Likewise, payment transactions and thus contracts for the paid acquisition of virtual articles and for
the arrangement of fee
-
based memberships can be concluded via the game pages. To confirm your
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orders and the respective contract, we will send you a corresponding message to the email address
you have provided. When carrying out these optional payment transactions, we work with carefully
selected payment service providers to offer you a wide range
of common and convenient payment
methods. When you carry out such a transaction, billing data is generated. This includes, for
example, the IP address and the time of a payment transaction, the premium currency and the
quantity ordered. The chosen payment
method and associated details such as shortened credit card
numbers (when paying by credit card) or encrypted telephone numbers (for telecommunications
based payments in connection with a landline or mobile phone) as well as an individual payment ID
are al
so recorded and stored. This data can also be used by us to detect irregularities and to prevent
attempts at fraud. In order to complete a payment transaction, it is also necessary for us to transmit
the information required to allocate the transaction to
the payment service provider. We may in turn
receive additional information from the respective payment service providers, which we require and
use solely for reasons related to tax law.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the provision of
our services and the security of Gameforge services. In addition, the processing procedures
described serve to initiate, perform and terminate contract
s of use or contracts for the paid
acquisition of virtual articles and for the arrangement of fee
-
based memberships (GDPR Article
6(1)(b)).
3.4.2 Registering and using an account for our online forums
The online forums can be an integral part of a game site or an independent Gameforge service. Our
forums provide you with a discussion platform and enable exchange with other members of our
community. Here publicly accessible forum profiles are created, wh
ich can be supplemented by
voluntary additional information such as profile pictures, information on place of residence,
occupation, gender or age.
Furthermore, publicly available discussion posts and private messages to other forum users can be
written. We recommend that you handle your data with care. Only share information with other
users that you think is necessary. Keep this in mind especially w
ith regard to sharing images or your
contact details.
In addition to such content written by the users, a registered forum account may also be included in
a publicly available list of members, which enables forum members to contact each other.
When using the online forums, usage data such as the IP address is collected for technical, security
and support reasons and individual data such as a user or contribution ID is generated and stored.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the provision of
our services and the security of Gameforge services. In addition, the processing procedures
described serve to initiate, perform and terminate contract
s of use (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
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3.4.3 Registering and using an account for our ticket support system
In addition to ticket support, you can also contact our support team with questions about Gameforge
services and receive help in solving technical or
game
-
related problems. Ticket support works
similar to the online forums. However, the tickets written by a user and the answers received
(content data) can only be viewed by the user and members of the support team, as well as
Gameforge employees whose ta
sk it is to process such tickets. A Gameforge account is also required
to use ticket support. During registration, information about the registration process is collected,
such as the time of registration and the IP address assigned to it. In addition to a
user and ticket ID,
the contents of the tickets are also stored.
If the content
s
of a ticket relate to payment transactions carried out
with
in the game, additional data
may be required to clarify the matter. Depending on the individual case, a Gameforge employee may
ask you to present an identity card or comparable proof of identity. Proof of the legality of a payment
transaction may also be r
equested. This
evidence
may, for example, consist of a PayPal confirmation,
telephone bill or
of
certain
digits in a
credit card
code
.
The additional evidence is processed exclusively to verify the legality of a payment transaction.
It
is
checked by a Gameforge employee and then deleted immediately.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in providing and
optimising our services. In addition, these processing procedures serve to fulfil the contract of use
(GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
3.4.4 Registering and using an account for our online games
Our online games are a central component of Gameforge services. In comparison to other
Gameforge services, the majority of data is collected, stored and processed through the use of our
games. However, only some of this is personal data. It is also possibl
e to use our online games using
a pseudonym. In this case therefore, we generally do not know the identity of the users.
In addition to the above
-
mentioned basic information and usage data, content data is also processed
in connection with the online games. This includes chat messages and in
-
game messages written by
users.
Usage data also includes certain non
-
technical information about individual game scores, such as
completed payment transactions and shop actions, the respective game time, number of logins,
character level and level upgrades or information about rule viola
tions, which is automatically
collected by our system. In contrast, non
-
personal technical data such as item IDs, map coordinates
and similar game
-
related information, which is categorised as confidential information protected as
part of our trade secrets,
is also processed automatically.
We use basic information, content and usage data to
determine the popularity of game content and
game functions such as shop items, to process your support requests, to check compliance with the
terms of use and rules of the game and to detect and sanction any potential illegal actions in an
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appropriate manner. As in all comparable cases, this includes contacting you by email, issuing a
warning and restricting certain functions or terminating the relevant user contract in the event of a
corresponding violation. In serious cases, we may also us
e the relevant data to assert or defend
legal claims.
In our browser games in particular, special game functions are possible, such as publicly accessible
high scores and overviews, which highlight special game performances and make sanctioned rule
violations transparent for all users, showing the misconduct
that caused the sanction.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the provision of
our services and the security of Gameforge services. In addition, the processing procedures
described serve to perform and terminate contracts of use o
r contracts for the paid acquisition of
virtual articles and for the arrangement of fee
-
based memberships (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
3.4.5 Needs
-
optimised design of Gameforge services
In order to provide you with a convenient user experience, we can tailor Gameforge services to your
needs. For example, we can submit individual offers to you and place associated advertisements, or
we can configure the arrangement and graphic design of co
ntrol elements of Gameforge services in
such a way that is optimised for you.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the provision of
our
services in the most agreeable manner for you.
3.5 Coverage analysis, tracking and analysis
As described in 3.1, we have no interest in monitoring the surfing behaviour of our page visitors, nor
do we track what you do on the internet after using Gameforge services.
However, we have a justified interest in the optimisation, further development and demandoriented
design of our services and in being able to better assess the benefits of our advertising
measures and to remunerate them in accordance with contractual oblig
ations. This includes
information regarding how Gameforge services are used and from which external pages users find
their way to us. We also want to learn about which pages are viewed, how often, how long the page
takes to display in your browser and how
much time is spent viewing a page, so that we can identify
errors and further improve Gameforge services.
The Gameforge web pages also use a variety of cookies for these purposes, explained in more detail
in section 3.6.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the optimisation
and smooth operation of Gameforge services and fulfilling the contracts with our partners.
In order to optimise Gameforge services and especially the o
nline games for a better user
experience, we would like to understand how our services are used and whether optimisations and
new functions are successfully accepted.
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For example, to determine if a new quest is in need of optimisation, we could measure how many
users have already accepted this quest and within what time it was completed, or which quest
phases took longer to complete. We can also test which item descript
ion for shop items leads to
greater popularity among users. Similarly, the number of clicks on a link to an information page and
the length of time spent on that page can help us determine whether the website in question is
necessary or needs to be improve
d.
As a rule, the relevant information is aggregated so that we can extrapolate results from the
collection of individual data points, which in most cases cannot be traced back to individual users.
When information is not aggregated, your data is generally pr
ocessed in a pseudonymised form. In
certain cases, we may display personalised offers, i.e. adapted to the needs of the individual user,
based on individual usage behaviour. It is possible, for example, to offer appropriate equipment
items to a user who pr
efers PvP combat or to hide less interesting quests for a user who prefers a
particular type of quest.
3.6 Cookies
We use cookies on the Gameforge websites and use a cookie banner, from which you can obtain
further information when you access the Gameforge pages.
When you open Gameforge web pages in your browser, cookies are saved to your system for their
respective lifespans. They are not executable applications and do not contain any elements that can
cause damage; instead they hold a sequence of characters relevant to their function. Simply put,
cookies are small text files in which information in connec
tion to the opened website is saved.
It is through this that certain functions on Gameforge web pages are made possible. Cookies allow
your browser to be recognised when revisiting the site, for example. This makes it easier and more
secure to log into a Gameforge account, and allows settings
you choose, such as the display
language or screen size and orientation in a browser game, to be loaded automatically. Cookies
enable us to present Gameforge websites to you in a functional and user
-
friendly format and in a
manner that suits your require
ments.
Alongside these technically
-
required and useful functions (necessary cookies and functionality
cookies), cookies also enable us to collect and analyse data regarding the use of Gameforge’s sites
(analysis cookies). This allows us to see how frequently a Ga
meforge web page is visited, how often
specific page functions are used, or whether and at what stage errors occur (performance cookies).
Cookies are also used to deliver interest
-
targeted advertisements (advertising cookies).
The
information associated with Gameforge cookies is generally saved in a pseudonymised form
however, which prevents us from linking it directly to an individual user without the enlistment of
further information.
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In addition to our cookies (first
-
party cookies), cookies from third
-
party providers (third
-
party
cookies) may also be set. For more information regarding these cookies, we recommend you read
the data protection policies of their respective providers.
Cookies will be automatically removed from your system regularly, once you leave Gameforge
websites or if you end your session by logging out (session cookies). Some cookies may, however,
remain stored on your system. To prevent this, you can change your b
rowser settings to block all
cookies, permit only specific cookies, or delete all stored cookies completely when the browser is
closed. If you wish to make use of these settings, please follow the respective directions provided
by your browser. Please not
e, however, that for technical reasons visiting the Gameforge web pages
with such settings may make them partially or wholly inoperable, or otherwise limit the service
provided.
In as far as personal data is processed by cookies, this activity is carried out in pursuit of our
legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in offering and optimising our services. With regard to the
remaining cookies and the associated processing, this
is done on the basis of your consent, which
can be revoked at any time free of charge, which can be provided to us or revoked by making a
corresponding selection in our cookie manager (GDPR Article 6(
1
)(a)).
3.7 Online advertising and customer communication
In order to further increase the awareness of our online games and thereby win new customers or
win back former users, we carry out various online
-
based advertising.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the advertising
of our services.
3.7.1 Advertising on Gameforge websites
We can display
advertisements in selected areas of the Gameforge web pages. As described in 3.1,
when a user clicks on these ads and then subsequently registers a Gameforge account, an ID is
transferred. This enables us to determine the benefits of internal advertisement
s and optimise our
advertising measures.
3.7.2. Email newsletter and recommendations via email
When registering a Gameforge account and concluding a corresponding user agreement, you must
provide your email address. We do not only send
contract
-
related messages to this address, but also
information about Gameforge, new online games in our portfolio or adjustments to existing
Gameforge services at regular intervals. In order to send you a suitable newsletter, we also use
information such
as the online game you are using and the account name you have chosen. In
aggregated form, we record how often our newsletter has been read and which links contained
therein have been opened. This information cannot be used to identify individual users.
We only use Gameforge email addresses such as gameforge@news.gameforge.com. For security
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reasons, always check incoming emails to see whether we have sent the message in question. If you
have any concerns or questions, please contact our support department.
If you do not wish to receive such a newsletter, you can object to the use of your email address for
these purposes by clicking on a link contained in each of our newsletters. You do not incur any costs
for cancelling the newsletter. This does not apply to
any amounts invoiced to you by your internet
provider. Further information on your right to object can also be found in section 6.5.
The use of your email address for the purpose of sending the newsletter, and sending the email
itself, takes place on the basis of Article 6(1)
(f) of the GDPR and Section 7(3) of the Act Against
Unfai
r
Competition.
Furthermore, Gameforge services can make it easier for you to recommend the respective service by
copying a text provided by us to your clipboard which you can customise and paste into the email
program of your choice. You can then enter the address of the
recipient you have selected and send
the message to them. We do not collect your email address or that of the recipient.
On certain pages of our website, you can also register for a newsletter without
the need to first have
a Gameforge account. With this newsletter we will update you on the development of future games.
Subscription to the newsletter is voluntary at all times. If you wish to unsubscribe from the newsletter,
you can do so at any time by clicking on a link cont
ained in every email.
In these cases,
use of
your e
-
mail address
f
or the purpose of sending the newsletter, and sending the
email
itself, takes place on the basis of Article
6
(1) (a)
GDPR.
3.7.3 External advertisements
We book various advertising media on external websites such as blogs, games, video portals and
social networks. These can include, for example, graphic advertisements, advertising texts or videos,
which feature a link to a Gameforge page. By clicking this
link you will usually be redirected to a
landing page, which can be provided by us or a hosting provider. As described under 3.1, the origin
of the page view can be determined to evaluate the success of an advertising campaign and its
remuneration.
Our ads can be personalised. Following the entry of a Gameforge
-
related search term or after calling
up a Gameforge web page, you may encounter customised advertisements on external internet
pages. This is made possible by the use of cookies and the transf
er of pseudonymous identifiers,
which were previously converted into hash values, to the respective external site operator. We do
not receive any information about users’ individual surfing behaviour.
3.7.4 Advertis
ements
of
external providers in Gameforge games
Our games are generally not financed
through
advertis
ing
. We only display third
-
party
adve
rtisement
in our games in limited exceptional cases.
14 April 2025
Advertisements are
not displayed
unsolicited
. Instead, players can actively choose to watch external
advertisement
video
s
within the Gameforge
s
ervices and
in return
receive
compensation
in the form
of small additional services in
our
game
s
. In order to display these advert
isement
videos, we forward
the IP address of our
players and details of the browser version used to our advertising partners.
Beyond these technically necessary measures, no further data is transmitted. Comprehensive
personalization of advertising is therefore not possible.
This processing is carried out for the establishment, performance or termination of a service contract
between us and the player (Art. 6
(
1
) (
b) GDPR).
3.8 Conducting surveys
In order to improve our services, we conduct surveys at various intervals. We use survey tools that
are implemented on our servers and as a rule allow voluntary participation in an anonymous form. If
personal data is to be collected in individual cases, we
draw attention to the voluntary nature of the
information in question and to the specific intended use by means of additional data protection
provisions.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in providing and
optimising our services.
3.9 Competitions
From time to time we
organise various forms of free competitions. Depending on the specific form
of such a competition, the processing of participants’ personal data is required for the purpose of
checking eligibility, selecting the winners and subsequently sending the prizes.
Our terms and
conditions for participation in the competition therefore contain additional data protection
information.
Hosting competitions serves the pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in creating
ties to our community. In addition, the processing procedures described serve to perform a possible
contract with the participants and winners of the res
pective competition (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
3.10 Integration of external services and plug
-
ins
To extend the scope of functions and optimise user comfort in some areas on the Gameforge web
pages, we use third
-
party services and related plugins, which make the selected functions of these
services
available
.
For example, we integrate single sign
-
on functions that enable you to log into a Gameforge account
via your external user account with the respective third
-
party provider.
We also integrate plugins that allow you to play our trailers and gameplay videos without having to
leave the Gameforge web pages.
14 April 2025
By using the corresponding functions you connect to servers of the respective third
-
party provider.
Personal data such as the IP address, the website currently being accessed and the time of use may
be transmitted to the third
-
party provider. We therefore
recommend that you read the data
protection regulations of the third
-
party provider carefully before using the respective function.
This data is processed in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in providing our
services.
3.11 IT security measures
Guaranteeing the security of Gameforge services at all times is an important matter to us. To this
end we use standard hardware and software solutions for monitoring the security status of our
systems in order to identify and defend against malicious activ
ity such as DDoS attacks, malware or
unauthorised login attempts and other attempted manipulation. In addition to such measures, we
also review our server and system logs.
Executing our IT security measures constitutes pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article
6(1)(f)) for the purposes of ensuring the availability of our services and the security and the
effectiveness of protection of Gameforge services.
3.12 Ensuring compliance with the Standard Terms of Use
In order to provide all users with a balanced, fair and proper gaming experience, we prohibit the use
of hacks, bots, cheats and similar instruments and any other illegal activities such as insults,
harassment and hate speech in our Standard Terms of Use a
nd game rules. We do not tolerate any
violations of the law and because such disruptive actions also massively impair the fun of the game
and lead to considerable economic damage, we ensure compliance with our Standard Terms of Use
and the rules of the ga
me in an appropriate manner.
Ensuring compliance with our Standard Terms of Use and the applicable rules serves the pursuit of
our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in the provision of our services and the security of
Gameforge services. In addition, the processing procedure
s described serve to perform and
terminate contracts of use (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
3.12.1 Supervising the game and monitoring logs
We use manual controls to ensure compliance with our Standard Terms of Use and rules of the
game. To this end, employees and members of
the support team participate in our online games and
online forums and take immediate action against rule violations. In addition, any reported anomalies
are checked by viewing the log files and, if necessary, penalised.
14 April 2025
3.12.2 Software solutions
As it would be impossible to continuously supervise the numerous different Gameforge services and
game servers as defined in 3.12.1 manually, we also use selected software solutions to detect and
prevent violations of our Standard Terms of Use and the rule
s of the game.
Such software solutions serve exclusively for the detection and exclusion of cheats and hacks,
irregular multiple logins as well as the detection and suppression of fraud attempts. To this end, we
have implemented appropriate server and client
-
side protect
ion measures.
If an additional application is installed on the user’s system during the installation of client
software, we will inform you of this in a transparent manner during the installation process. The
installation can be aborted, which means that the relevant se
curity application will not be installed.
It is also possible to uninstall the respective application together with the game client at any time.
However, for technical and economic reasons the use of the online game protected in this way
cannot then be off
ered. Once it is successfully installed, the application runs together with the
online game and checks the game
-
related processes and the integrity of the game files during
runtime. No further search or monitoring of the system takes place. If an attempted
rule violation is
detected, it can either be logged and later sanctioned or immediately ended. This is connected with
the Gameforge account used for the violation being deregistered and blocked according to the rules
specified by us and generally leads to
the termination of the relevant user contract. This may also
include the detection and blocking of connected Gameforge accounts. The related processing of
personal data such as the collection of IP addresses, hardware information and gaming activities, as
well as account information, is generally carried out by us. If we commission an external service
provider for this, it is done in accordance with the legal requirements and with strict respect for your
rights. In addition, we point this out to you transp
arently during the installation of the relevant
online game.
We also use server
-
side software solutions that detect inadmissible logins and fraud attempts on
the Gameforge web pages and block them according to rules specified by us. If actions of this kind
are detected, this can also lead to the blocking of the Game
forge account used and associated user
accounts or to the blocking of certain functions as well as to the termination of the respective user
contract. The commission of an external service provider is done in accordance with the legal
requirements and with
strict respect for your rights.
In addition, affected users are free to contact us at any time concerning a decision taken based on
the protective measures. We will carefully examine the relevant details and inform you promptly of
a final decision based on the respective facts and will j
ustify this decision in a transparent manner.
3.13 Processing for statistical purposes
In certain areas of Gameforge services we collect data such as the operating system and version,
browser and version, IP address and other relevant system data. We use this data for statistical
evaluations, in particular for the purpose of adapting Gamefor
ge services to the users’ needs. Where
possible, the data is anonymised and aggregated; otherwise the data is pseudonymised. None of this
information is disclosed to third parties.
14 April 2025
We process this information for statistical purposes in line with our legitimate interests (GDPR
Article 6(1)(f)) for the optimisation of our services.
3.14 Improving Gameforge services
In many cases, personal data is processed for the purposes of improving Gameforge services, for
identifying and correcting errors, improving security and improving usability.
We do so in pursuit of our legitimate interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in terms of providing and
optimising our services and the security of Gameforge services.
3.15 Safeguarding other legal interests
In individual instances, we may process personal data to serve other legal interests, such as in
cooperation with relevant authorities, or the enforcement, establishment or defence of legal claims.
We act here in line with our legal obligations (GDPR Article 6(1)(c)) or in line with our legitimate
interests (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) for the enforcement, establishment or defence of legal claims.
3.16 No change of purpose
In order to ensure that the purposes stipulated in this Privacy Policy can be pursued sustainably, we
reserve the right to change the way in which data is processed to conform to legal or company
requirements, for example by optimising our data processing
activities, or implementing new
processes. This will always be done with the greatest attention and under strict adherence to the
legal provisions. We do not intend to change these purposes in a way that is not compatible with the
specified purposes witho
ut your express consent. In order to maintain the maximum transparency
we are striving for, we will display and inform you of relevant adjustments in this Privacy Policy.
3.17 Balance of interests
In as far as we process personal data on the legal basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, that being in
pursuit of our legitimate interests, we firstly determine our interest in processing the data in
question. This is then weighed against the expectable interests of the affected persons. This
includes taking into consideration the desired purpose, the form of data processing and the
associated risks to the rights and freedoms of the affected persons. A
t the same time we consider
whether the technical and organisational measures taken are sufficient to meet the necessary level
of protection. We only process data on this basis where this is the case, and the relevant data is
limited to that which is indee
d required.
4. Forwarding and transferring personal data
As a rule, your data is only processed directly by us within the territory of the Federal Republic of
14 April 2025
Germany, and always for the purposes listed in this Privacy Policy. This section details how
and why
personal data may in certain instances be forwarded or transferred.
4.1 Reasons for forwarding and transferring personal data
Your data will only be internally forwarded or externally transferred where necessary in achieving
one of the aims outlined in this Privacy Policy. Any data forwarded or transferred is limited to the
amount absolutely necessary.
4.2 Internal and external recipients of personal data
As a rule, your data is passed on internally to the department responsible for the respective
processing, which is then processed only by the employee(s) responsible. For example, we can
forward a complaint received by post to the responsible support emplo
yee. Our employees are
trained in the field of data protection, are bound by obligations of confidentiality and data privacy,
and are committed by company guidelines and instructions to handle your data in accordance with
legal requirements and the conten
ts of this Privacy Policy.
For technical, legal or business reasons it may also be necessary in certain cases to pass your data on
to third parties. For instance, it may be necessary that we forward your data to a company associated
with us as per Section 15 of the German Stock Corp
oration Act (currently Gameforge AG and Palado
GmbH, both reachable at the address provided above) for the purposes set forth in this Privacy
Policy. For example, our financial accounting, legal department and group data protection are
organisationally aff
iliated to our parent company (Gameforge AG).
Furthermore, carefully selected service companies make their data centres available to us for
sending our newsletter and integrating payment methods. We also work with service providers who
enable us to assess the success of an advertising campaign or supp
ort us in avoiding fraud attempts
and breaches of the rules. Should it be required by law, we also forward data to the relevant
authorities to the necessary extent. If we require external advice from third parties, in particular
legal advice, for the purpo
ses of enforcing or defending legal claims, we may also transfer the
necessary data to these recipients.
In rare cases, we may receive information that someone's vital interests are at risk.
W
e pass
such
information on to the police
on the basis of GDPR
Article 6(1)(
d
)
.
Any transfer is performed exclusively for the purposes detailed in this Privacy Policy with the
greatest attention and under strict adherence to the legal provisions, in particular the conclusion of
an agreement for processing data by contract as per Artic
le 28(3) sentence 1 of the GDPR.
4.3 Recipients in third countries
Before any personal data is transferred, we check thoroughly that all the legal requirements for the
transfer in question are met for the particular case. For this reason, we only transfer data to
recipients in third countries (see section 3) when this lev
el of protection for personal data is
14 April 2025
provided in the country and we are convinced that the respective recipient will handle the received
data in compliance with the data protection standard laid out this Privacy Policy. An adequate level
of data protection can be expected, for example, where
the European Commission has made a
decision confirming the country in question meets the standards of data adequacy or the transfer is
concluded on the basis of the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses.
5. Data retention
In this section, we explain how long we store the personal data we collect.
We do not retain personal data without purpose. The length of time data is retained is primarily
linked to the basic purpose and necessity of storing it. Personal data is therefore only stored in as
far as it is required for a specific purpose.
When determining the retention period, we first check whether it is necessary to store the relevant
data for the entire term of a contract with the persons concerned. This is particularly the case with
basic information such as the registered email address
. In individual cases, such as in the case of
forum posts, storage may also take place in addition to this for information reasons.
If such permanent storage is not required, we will check the minimum storage period specifically
required for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy. Complaints and support requests, as well
as usage data that may result in a rule violation, are sto
red until it is no longer necessary for
asserting, enforcing or defending legal claims or for further support cases. Our standard is the
regular statute of limitations of three years in accordance with Section 195 of the German Civil
Code. If the data nee
d only be saved for technical reasons for a short time (for example, during your
current session), this data will only be stored for the period of use and a maximum of 30 days.
Finally, we check whether any legal retention periods apply, particularly in terms of taxation law
(Section 147(3) of the Fiscal Code of Germany) or commercial law (Section 257(4) of the German
Commercial Code), which may for example require documents to b
e stored for a period of six to ten
years.
If there is no cause to process the data, the data is no longer required for this purpose, and there are
no legal requirements to store the data, we delete it.
6. Your rights
In this section we inform you about the rights individuals have in regard to the processing of their
data and how these rights can be exercised.
6.1 Right of access
You have the right to demand confirmation from us regarding whether we are
processing your data.
14 April 2025
If this is the case, you also have the right to demand comprehensive information, a free copy of the
data and more information from us.
6.2 Right to rectification
Should the data relating to your person be incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to demand
that the data be corrected or completed.
6.3 Right to erasure
You have the basic right to demand the immediate deletion of your data. Legal reasons may
however stand in the way of this, in particular the requirement to process the relevant data to fulfil
the agreement with you or legal data retention requirements. In
individual cases your data may also
be required for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. In such instances we will
process the affected data strictly in accordance with this purpose, followed by immediate deletion
as soon as the releva
nt reasons for retention no longer apply. We will inform you in such instances
accordingly.
6.4 Right to restriction of processing
As an alternative to the deletion of your data, you have the basic right to demand restrictions in how
we process your data. If you make use of this right, we are essentially restricted to storing the
associated data. Processing the data in other ways is o
nly permissible with your consent, or for the
purposes of establishing, exercising or defending legal claims, or to protect the rights of other
natural persons or legal entities.
6.5 Right to object
On grounds relating to your situation, you have the right to object to the processing of personal data
associated with you, in as far as the specific processing is pursuant to our legitimate interests in
accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Should
you have and exercise your right to object, we
will no longer process the affected data.
In exceptional cases your right to object may not be exercised, where we have a compelling
legitimate reason for processing the data which overrides your interests, rights and freedoms, or for
the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. This ex
ception does not apply, however,
when you object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes, including marketing
related profiling. You may exercise your right to object to these purposes at any time.
6.6 Withdrawal of consent
If we are processing data on the basis of the consent you have provided, you can withdraw your
consent effective for the future at any time. We will cease processing your data upon receiving
withdrawal of your consent and until such time as your consent ha
s been granted once more.
14 April 2025
6.7 Right to data portability
If we are processing your data with your consent, or for the purposes of justifying, executing or
terminating a contract with you, you have the right to receive the data you have made available to
us. The data is provided in a structured, accessible and ma
chine
-
readable format. In exercising this
right, you also have the right to request that your personal data be transferred directly to another
controller, so far as this is technically feasible.
6.8 Right to appeal
If you believe that the processing of your data by us violates the legal provisions, you have the right to
lodge a complaint with any European supervisory authority, in particular with the supervisory authority
at your permanent place of residence. You can
find the contact information at
https://edpb.europa.eu/about
-
edpb/about
-
edpb/members_de. You can also contact the supervisory
authority responsible for us, the Baden
-
Württemberg State Commissioner for Data Protection and
Freedom of Information. Their con
tact information can be found at https://www.baden
-
wuerttemberg.datenschutz.de/.
6
.9 Right to appeal for UK residents
If you are a resident of the United
Kingdom,
the UK
-
GDPR and the other provisions of the UK Data
Protection Act 2018
will
also apply to the processing of your data.
If you believe that the processing of your data by us violates the legal provisions
y
ou have the right to
lodge a complaint
with the
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO
). Their contact information can be
found at
https://ico.org.uk/.
Postal address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF
6.
10
Exercising your rights
You are free to contact us in your preferred way to exercise your rights set out here
(see section 1
for details). As we do not collect any plaintext data such as your name or address, and we can only
establish your identification via the email address you have linked to your Gameforge account, we
recommend that when registering for ticket
support, you use the email address of your Gameforge
account or link this address to your support account. This ensures that your issue can be dealt with
quickly and in an uncomplicated manner. Inform the support team of your concern. Alternatively,
you ca
n contact our data protection officer in confidence using your email address. For an
uncomplicated assignment, please explain the matter to us as precisely as possible in all cases. If
possible, please indicate in particular the online game you are using,
the language version, the game
server and your account name.
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7. Data protection information
In handling personal data, we have made appropriate technical and organisational measures to
maintain data security and reduce the risks to the rights and freedoms of the affected persons. This
includes the fact that we do not collect any real names or add
resses and that we maintain the
respective Gameforge accounts using pseudonyms. We also limit the personal data collected and
stored to the required minimum, and encrypt it where possible. This applies accordingly when
providing and transferring personal
data when registering and using a Gameforge account. During
payment transactions, for example, your data is transferred in an encrypted form using SSL. Our SSL
transfer is THAWTE
-
certified. Finally, all our employees are informed and trained to maintain da
ta
Confidentiality
and privacy obligations.
8. Information on referrals to third
-
party services (hyperlinks)
In some places, Gameforge services contain
links which redirect users to external websites. If you
click on such a hyperlink, you will be redirected to services that are beyond our control and
influence. The respective provider is solely responsible for these services. The data protection
regulatio
ns of the relevant provider apply in each case.
9. Version and changes to this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy was last updated on
1
2
th
March
202
5
. We reserve the right to change its
contents in order to correct mistakes, improve understandability, provide supplemental information,
or for legal reasons.