A resident of China decided to sue four major companies: Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive Entertainment. He claims that the projects they publish have led to the development of gaming addiction in his son.
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In the lawsuit, the man reported that his child managed to bypass the time limits on gaming set by China using his older sister's ID — according to local laws, children are only allowed to play video games on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 8 PM to 9 PM. As a result, since March 2024, the boy has spent over 1,800 hours on a single title, playing on average two hours daily. Considering other games, his total playtime over this period is even higher.
According to the plaintiff, as the boy became engrossed in games, he started to lead an unhealthy lifestyle, began going to bed closer to 4 AM, and lost a significant amount of weight. Recently, he was even hospitalized after taking 18 fever-reducing pills simultaneously. The plaintiff's son refused to discuss what prompted such a dangerous step, but the man suspects it is a result of gaming addiction.
Now the plaintiff wants Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive Entertainment to tighten the age verification process for underage gamers.
Interestingly, although the plaintiff also demanded compensation, the amount is insignificant—only 10 yuan or 1.5 dollars. According to the man, through the lawsuit, he primarily wants to spark public debate and achieve a reduction in gaming addiction among children in China, not to profit.