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Video Game Addiction Lawsuit

Is the Video Game Addiction Lawsuit Real? (Hint: Yep.)

Sadly yes – and moms, you need to know about this. On January 28, 2025, a California family sued monopoly tech companies Google and Roblox Corporation for marketing video gaming products intentionally designed with patented addiction technology that harmed their 11-year-old son.¹

Has your kid ever thrown the controller or hit a sibling when you said it’s time to turn off the screen? Maybe you didn’t notice that play time was slowly escalating into an obsession, possibly indicating deeper mental health issues like anxiety, isolation, depression, even suicidal ideation? If so, you are not alone.

If your child plays/played online video games uncontrollably and developed life-disrupting behavioral patterns as a result, you are not alone.

“I spent a lot of nights crying, thinking that I was a bad parent because of it. If there’s any other parent dealing with this, I want them to know they’re not alone,” mom Elizabeth Jones told Good Morning America.

We’re changing the narrative about lawsuits.^™

Is Compulsive Internet Gaming a Real Thing?

Internet gaming disorder/IGD, aka, video gaming addiction/VGA, is now officially recognized by both the WHO (World Health Organization) in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-Edition 11-2) and as a condition for further study in the APA’s (American Psychiatric Association’s) diagnostic Bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).²

When Elizabeth Jones’ 21-year-old son Preston started playing games like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite at age 12, she had no idea the multimillion-dollar gaming platforms would turn her son into an addict detached from reality. “I never knew it would destroy our family, our relationship,” she told ABC.³

But you’re not a bad mom (really: the last thing you should do here is beat yourself up). There is increasing concern among mental health professionals that the aggressive and purposefully addictive marketing tactics of manufacturers are a key culprit.

Meanwhile, the Software Entertainment Association, a trade group promoting the video gaming sector, told ABC that “the industry … invests in creating easy-to-use tools for players, parents and caregivers to manage numerous aspects of gameplay.”⁴ But the group whitewashed the part about misrepresenting games with built-in addiction technology like microtransactions that send dopamine – the “feel good” hormone – to the brain, including compulsion loops, loot boxes, high scores, and leveling up.

What Does Video Gaming Addiction Really Mean?

It’s not just about too much screen time or inferior parenting: companies engineer the games for profit with technology used by casinos. The question researchers set out to answer: Does VGA/IGD negatively impact both mental and physical health, especially in kids under age 25 while their brains are still developing. (P.S. Toddlers between ages 2-5 are the fastest-growing group of gamers.)⁴

Mental health professionals debated for years about whether or not video gaming addiction was a bona fide psychiatric disorder + if it met the criteria for a full-fledged addiction like tobacco, alcohol, or gambling. A large percentage concluded yes: the disorder is legitimate + may indicate more deep-seated issues like acute anxiety or depression + professionals are actively treating families for this growing problem.

And despite the aggressive marketing tactics employed by Microsoft, Epic, etc., that hype so-called “scientific” benefits of video gaming (like improved hand-eye coordination), the real problem lands squarely on a kid’s ability to start and stop playing when parents say time’s up.⁵

It isn’t that simple, however, as any parent with a gamer knows.

What Are the Symptoms of VGA (aka, Internet Gaming Disorder/IGD)?

“While playing a video game, the person’s brain processes the scenario as if it were real. If the game depicts a dangerous or violent situation, the gamer’s body reacts accordingly. Excessive video game use can lead to the brain being revved up in a constant state of hyperarousal” – triggering a fight or flight response.⁶

From the American Addiction Center, here are some red flags to suggest your child may be hiding an addiction to video gaming:⁷

Preoccupation with gaming.
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms (such as anxiety, sadness, or irritability) when gaming is taken away or not possible.
Developing a tolerance to gaming, meaning the individual has a need to spend more time gaming to satisfy the urge.
Lacking the ability to reduce playing, or making unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming.
Giving up other activities, or lacking interest in previously enjoyed activities because of gaming.
Continuing to game despite the problems it causes.
Deceiving family and others about the amount of time spent gaming.
Using gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness.
Jeopardizing a job or relationship because of gaming.

Here are some key health risks and concerns:

Sedentary lifestyle.
Lack of social engagement.
Problems with concentration and attention.
Avoidance of developmental tasks.
Increased aggression or violence.
Seizures and repetitive stress injuries of wrists or hands.

Is There a Video Gaming Addiction Lawsuit?

Yes. The cases are climbing too. VGA (or internet gaming disorder/IGD) lawsuits are stacking up as families + individuals come forward to seek accountability from gaming companies for the harm caused by gaming intentionally designed to addict. The lawsuit is focused on holding manufacturers responsible for exploiting vulnerable players with false hype mainly targeted at minors and young children, even toddlers. The lawsuit cites that gaming addiction can cause significant harm: mental health struggles, social isolation, disinterest in school, and outlandish expenses (upwards of $350/month), as companies pump profit over user safety.

Parents: None of This Is Your Fault.

We understand that it’s super easy to think this is all your fault for letting your kids play too many video games. We are here to tell you that this is not true.

If your child has an addiction to video games – and suffered from serious issues that have affected his/her life because of it – it was not because of something you did or didn’t do.

We get it: you wanted a little time to yourself/time to focus on making dinner or cleaning the house or something. You’re busy, so you let your kid(s) play some Roblox or Minecraft. There is nothing wrong with that.

Know this: the gaming industry has deliberately stacked the cards against your child(ren). They specifically engineered products to make money, largely by addicting users (especially kids). This is a targeted, strategic move that goes after kids, and it’s about so much more than taking the games away.

What Video Games Are Part of the Lawsuit?

We are working closely with our law firm partners as they further investigate this litigation. While there are other games/gaming companies that may be part of the case, we are currently looking into the following games:

What Should You Do If Your Child Is Addicted?

Most importantly, we emphasize that families should rely on people like us (ACFW) with hearts to care first about the people involved and then help you decide what next steps to take. If it’s right for you, we’ll help you take legal action because this action is merited for lots of reasons – financial + emotional + precautionary.

And yes, we are big fans of civil legal action since it is proactive; action provides a meaningful “distraction” that helps you put one foot in front of the other when you may be struggling to get out of bed. Participating in a national legal challenge, aimed at those responsible, widely spreads the word and can leverage a halt to the problem.

When even one person (not to mention a hundred or a thousand) stands up and says, “This is wrong,” it sends a glaring message to industry chiefs who placed profit over user safety again and again.

ACFW was founded by women
to help women.

Many of us are moms raising young kids in the digital age too. It takes a village and we live in the village. Our MO: we only team up with video game addiction lawyers + law firms that we have personally vetted. Plus, one of our key criteria for choosing a law firm is that attorneys operate on contingency – a method of payment owed at the end of your case, only if you win.

For all the personal financial risk and hundreds of hours it takes your lawyers to build an airtight case, we think it’s a bargain well worth 40% of your cash award – only if you win and only after the check is in your hand. Otherwise you pay your lawyers nothing. And us? We never charge you for our many services.

Please contact us when you’re ready, 24/7/365.

Sources

Liz Gonzales, “ADA [American Disabilities Act] lawsuit forces home-based Fresno gaming business to close,” Fox News, September 18, 2018.
Allison Caffarone, “VIRTUAL GAMING, ACTUAL DAMAGE: VIDEO GAME DESIGN THAT INTENTIONALLY AND SUCCESSFULLY ADDICTS USERS CONSTITUTES CIVIL BATTERY,” Duke Law Journal, 2023-2024.
GMA Team, “Mom claims video game companies are intentionally addicting kids,” ABC News/Good Morning America, November 30, 2023.
Wikipedia Staff, “Software Entertainment Association,” Wikipedia, 2024.
Winda Benadetti, “Gaming with young kids? Here’s where to start,” NBC News, December 5, 2011.
Unnamed, “Are video games, screens another addiction?” Mayo Clinic Health System, July 1, 2022.
Website, “American Addiction Centers Reviews, Ratings, and Rehab Centers,” Rehabs.com, August 9, 2024.

WE WEAR THIS BADGE PROUDLY. Because, in a time when legal services are still dominated by men, only a Women Owned Business can bring the woman’s perspective to issues that disproportionately affect women.

We are the ones, far more than men, who are injured by sexual assault, financial scams, the gender pay gap, toxic chemicals, and the misguided practices of powerful pharmaceutical companies.