Father Sues Several Video Game Companies for Just $1.50 After His Son Became “Addicted” to Gaming
Lawsuits against video game companies seem to be increasingly common lately, including a recent case in Brazil where Microsoft was ordered to restore a gamer’s hacked Xbox account and all his digital games, as well as pay him $400 in damages.
Now, a father has taken several video game companies to court while asking for roughly the price of a coffee, as money is not the reason behind the lawsuit.
The man, who lives in China, claims that the companies’ anti-addiction systems failed to stop his son from playing too much, which eventually led to an addiction.
Father Takes Tencent, NetEase and Others to Court Over Son’s Gaming Addiction
Qin, the surname given for the father, is taking legal action against Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo and 37 Interactive Entertainment, with the case filed in Tanghe County in China’s Henan Province.
Qin is asking for only 10 yuan, around $1.50, in compensation and has made it clear that the lawsuit is not about money. Instead, he hopes the court will force video game companies to properly apply the rules designed to stop minors from becoming addicted.
Qin said his son had spent years playing video games, often staying up until 3 or 4 AM on weekends. But that was not the only problem. Data from one of the gaming platforms where he had an account showed that he had played for 1,868 hours since March 2024, averaging 2.44 hours per day.
But how was he able to do this in China? The teenager reportedly got around the restrictions by registering the account using his sister’s identity.
The lawsuit was filed around a month after the teenager turned 18 in early 2026 and took 18 fever pills on May 23.
He was taken to the hospital and recovered from the medication poisoning. Although his son did not tell him why he had taken the pills, Qin believes his son’s sudden and dangerous action may have been caused by strong feelings of guilt or intense dizziness from his long, late-night gaming sessions.
Qin’s case was scheduled for July 6, but it has now been delayed to a date that has not yet been decided. It remains to be seen whether this video game addiction lawsuit in China will have any effect. As more information becomes available, we’ll make sure to let you guys know here at MP1st.
