NEW ORLEANS — A new federal lawsuit alleges that three of the world’s most influential gaming companies, Roblox Corporation, Epic Games and Microsoft/Mojang, intentionally designed their blockbuster video games to addict minors, ultimately causing significant physical, emotional and economic harm to an 11-year-old Louisiana child.
The complaint, brought by the child’s mother, Vanessa Anderson, argues that the companies placed profits over safety by embedding addictive features into Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft, while failing to warn families of known risks, according to the Dec. 1 complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to the lawsuit, K.F. began playing video games at age 5 and was first introduced to Minecraft around 2020, Fortnite in 2021 and Roblox in 2022.
The complaint states that K.F.’s use escalated into “increasing, uncontrollable, compulsive, and/or addictive” gaming behavior that allegedly resulted directly from the products’ design features. These behaviors, the suit asserts, led to withdrawal symptoms—including anger, rage, and physical outbursts—as well as diminished social engagement and a loss of interest in other hobbies.
The complaint claims the defendants have known for decades that video games can trigger addiction-like responses in the brain, particularly in minors whose prefrontal cortexes are still developing.
It cites research showing dopamine surges similar to those seen in substance abuse, along with documented neurological effects such as diminished impulse control, reduced grey matter and cognitive decline linked to excessive gaming.
The lawsuit argues that the companies were aware of these risks yet continued to use design strategies rooted in behavioral psychology to maximize user engagement and, in turn, profits through in-game purchases.
The lawsuit further contends that all three companies purposefully targeted youth.
Roblox, for example, is alleged to have more than 45% of its user base under age 13, and the platform allows account creation without parental consent or age verification.
Despite repeatedly advertising its commitment to child safety, the complaint claims Roblox failed for nearly two decades to implement basic parental controls such as spending limits or screen-time restrictions, adding several only in 2024 and 2025 after years of public scrutiny.
The plaintiff argues these late-stage updates demonstrate that Roblox always could implement broader safety measures but chose not to do so.
Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that all defendants relied on advanced behavioral techniques, including operant conditioning, and in some cases, patented algorithms used to increase microtransactions.
These techniques allegedly included adjusting game difficulty to prolong sessions, using reward systems to encourage daily logins and matching players in ways designed to stimulate digital purchases.
The complaint states this pattern created an “information asymmetry,” giving companies the ability to analyze player behavior and manipulate it in ways minors could not understand or counter.
The plaintiff argues that these design choices created a foreseeable and dangerous risk of addiction among minors and especially among neurodivergent children, whom studies show may be more vulnerable to compulsive gaming behaviors.
Despite this knowledge, the complaint alleges that the companies offered no adequate warnings at account creation or during gameplay about the risks of addiction, neurological impact or emotional harm.
Through the lawsuit, Anderson seeks damages for the harm suffered by her child and intends to hold each gaming company accountable for decisions she argues placed profits over child welfare.
The complaint notes that it is not a challenge to video games themselves but to corporate practices that the plaintiff says knowingly exposed minors to addictive and harmful programming.
The complaint requests a jury trial and general damages. Anderson is represented by G. Adam Savoie of Dudley DeBosier in Shreveport.
A similar case was also filed in Florida. That case involved a 10-year-old whose parents claim he became addicted to video games.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number: 2:25-cv-02413
