Video Game Addiction Lawsuit Attorneys in New York

The Impacts of Video Game Addiction

Video game addiction can have severe symptoms with a wide range of consequences. Below are some common signs and repercussions associated with video game addiction.

• Preoccupation with Gaming: Some patients become fixated on gaming, thinking about it when they should be focusing on other activities like schoolwork.
• Lying or Hiding Gaming Habits: Addicted gamers often spend countless hours at play, neglecting basic needs such as eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene. To avoid confrontation, they might lie to loved ones about how much time they spend gaming.
• Loss of Interest in Other Activities: As addictions worsen, a gamer might lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, such as sports, socializing, or other hobbies.
• Social Withdrawal: Those with video game addiction often withdraw from real-life relationships, choosing to spend more time in the virtual world and prioritizing online friends over real ones.
• Psychological Withdrawal: When unable to play, gaming addicts can experience intense feelings of loss, sadness, or frustration that make it difficult to focus on anything else.
• Defensiveness and Anger: Video game addicts will often behave to defensively or angrily when confronted about their habits.
• Using Gaming as an Escape: Many addicted gamers use video games to escape from real-life problems, finding more confidence and fulfillment in the virtual world than in reality.
• Continued Use Despite Negative Consequences: The urge to play remains strong even when gaming leads to real-world consequences like poor school performance.

Video game addiction can lead to several other severe consequences for minors. Prolonged exposure to unrealistic body images in games can cause young players to develop body dysmorphia: distorted perceptions of their bodies, leading to unhealthy behaviors and self-esteem issues.

Sleep deprivation is another common side effect of video game addiction, as many addicted minors stay up late into the night playing games, severely disrupting their sleep patterns. This lack of sleep not only affects their mood and performance in school but also hinders their overall physical and mental health.

Additionally, excessive gaming during crucial developmental years can impact brain development, potentially affecting cognitive abilities, emotional regulation, and social skills.

What Lawsuits Involving Video Game Addiction Allege

Lawsuits involving video game addiction are becoming increasingly common, particularly over the last year. These suits claim that companies like Epic Games, Roblox Corporation, and Mojang Studios intentionally designed games to be addictive, leading to a generation of young “gaming addicts.”

These cases allege that game makers use psychological tactics, such as vibrant graphics and random rewards, to keep players engaged, leading to addiction. The litigation has the potential to be enormous. As the lawsuits proceed, defense counsel argues that video games, like novels or TV shows, are protected by free speech and that being too engaging is not grounds for liability. However, plaintiffs’ lawyers maintain that these cases focus on product defects rather than content, setting the stage for ongoing legal battles.

Video Game Addition Lawsuit Updates – May 2025

On April 23, 2025, a federal judge from the Northern District of Illinois dismissed all claims brought against Google, Apple, and Roblox in a lawsuit filed by a mother who alleged that her son developed a video game addiction due to the design and marketing strategies of popular games like Roblox, Call of Duty, and Fortnite.

While a dismissal can seem like a setback, this decision does not mark the end of legal efforts targeting video game addiction. Judge April M. Perry determined that the 210-page complaint lacked organization and clarity, making it difficult to determine which defendant was allegedly responsible for specific actions. Despite dismissing the case, the judge gave the plaintiff permission to revise and refile the complaint with more focused and detailed allegations.

The court found that many of the claims against Roblox were shielded by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the First Amendment. It concluded that Roblox’s social components and user-generated games are forms of protected expression. However, the judge made a distinction when it came to Roblox’s proprietary content—such as avatars, skins, and design elements—suggesting that while these features also fall under expressive content, plaintiffs may still have an opportunity to reframe their claims to avoid constitutional protections. As the court noted, the First Amendment does not lose its force simply because the content in question is compelling or influential.

This decision should not discourage plaintiffs or their attorneys. The dismissal was based on procedural grounds, not the legal strength of the claims themselves. The court made clear that more precise allegations—such as timelines of use and platform-specific conduct—could allow future complaints to move forward.

Moreover, the court left open the possibility of claims based on commercial speech. Marketing statements that present these games as “educational” or “safe for children” could be challenged if plaintiffs can demonstrate that they relied on those claims and suffered harm as a result.

It’s also important to note that the ruling did not address other defendants, such as Activision, Epic Games, and Rockstar, whose cases are still pending. Although the defense may interpret this dismissal as a sign of weakness in the broader litigation, the court’s findings suggest otherwise—it acknowledged potential paths forward and underscored the seriousness of the underlying legal questions around accountability in game design and promotion.