ClaimsHero and Grant & Eisenhofer are investigating claims against major gaming companies for allegedly designing addictive products targeting minors. These practices may have caused mental, emotional, and financial harm to vulnerable users.

The companies under investigation include:

• Activision Blizzard, Inc.
• Activision Publishing, Inc.
• Electronic Arts Inc.
  • Madden
• Epic Games, Inc.
  • Fortnite
• Microsoft Corporation
• Mojang AB
  • Minecraft
• Nintendo Co., Ltd.
• Infinity Ward, Inc.
• Roblox Corporation
• Rockstar Games, Inc.
• Rockstar Games UK Limited
• Sledgehammer Games, Inc.
• Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
  • Grand Theft Auto
• Treyarch Corporation
  • Call of Duty
• Ubisoft Entertainment SA

The investigation focuses on:

• Features compelling excessive gaming in young users
• Manipulative in-game purchase systems
• Psychological reward features promoting addiction
• Insufficient addiction risk warnings

According to an article in the medical science journal Cureus, symptoms of video game addiction include:

• Distracting preoccupation with gaming: Someone with a gaming addiction may think about gaming excessively often or for long periods of time. Such thoughts may be intrusive and can distract them from other important tasks.
• Deception: A person with a gaming addiction may lie about how they spend their time. For example, a teenager may tell their parents they've been doing their homework. Their parents might know they've actually been in their room gaming for hours.
• Gaming interfering with daily tasks: Gaming addiction involves playing games for long periods of time every day or most days. Some devote so much time to gaming that they overlook other daily tasks, like eating and bathing.
• Loss of interest in other activities: Gaming addiction may take over someone's life to the point that they no longer participate in activities they once enjoyed. For example, a gamer might stop playing sports or working out when they develop a gaming addiction.
• Withdrawing from social life: Gaming is often a solitary activity. A person experiencing gaming addiction may thus withdraw from their social life to devote more time to gaming. Relationships gamers make in the game may become more important than those in real life.
• Emotional and psychological changes: Gaming addiction may cause a person to be agitated or unfocused when they can't game. When someone asks them to stop playing, they may become defensive or angry.
• Using gaming as an easy escape: Escapism isn't inherently negative. Many people watch TV or read books to escape for a moment. However, those with gaming addictions may rely on gaming to escape from life, so they don't have to address actual issues.
• Gaming despite experiencing consequences: Experiencing the consequences of gaming addiction may not stop a person from continuing to play video games too often. For example, perhaps someone's relationship ends, or they drop out of school because they spend too much time gaming. If they don't make changes despite this consequence, they might have a gaming addiction problem.

Those with gaming addictions may experience such consequences as:

• Cognitive changes
• Development impacts
• Lack of impulse control
• Forgoing sleep and food to game more
• Loss of communication and/or social skills
• Back strain
• Eye strain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Extreme weight loss or gain
• Changes in appearance
• Loss of friends
• Poor work/school performance

Along with the above, gaming addiction can have financial consequences. Virtually any addiction can cause someone to spend too much money to satisfy an urge.

No. ClaimsHero and Grant & Eisenhofer work on contingency - we only get paid if we secure a recovery for you.

Minors must have a parent or legal guardian file on their behalf.

No. Victims from all U.S. states can apply.