Key Points

• Plaintiffs and federal courts now refer to Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft together as the “gateway games” because complaints allege these three titles introduce children to addictive gaming patterns that follow them into adolescence and adulthood. 

• Lawsuits against Roblox Corporation, Epic Games, Microsoft, and Mojang AB allege the companies intentionally designed psychological features into their games to maximize playtime and in-game spending by minors. 

• Families whose children developed a gaming disorder involving Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft may be eligible to file a lawsuit or join the litigation against the makers of these games and received compensation. 

Parents across the country are asking the same question: how did a game my child started playing in elementary school turn into something that controls their life by middle school? For thousands of families, the answer is now the basis of a lawsuit. The targets are three specific titles that legal filings and federal court orders now refer to collectively as the “gateway games”: Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft. 

If you or a loved one believes a child in your family developed a gaming disorder after playing Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft, you and your family may be eligible to join the existing litigation, or file your own lawsuit and seek financial compensation. 

Find out whether you qualify or start the process of filing your claim today by contacting the lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend. You can reach us by calling our office toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or submit your information online to schedule a free consultation or begin the process of filing a claim. 

What the “Gateway Games” Term Actually Means

The phrase “gateway games” did not originate with the gaming industry or with academic researchers. It came from the attorneys filing these cases. In court papers submitted to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, plaintiffs argued that Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft function as entry points into long-term compulsive gaming, particularly for children introduced to them at very young ages. 

The basic idea is that these three titles share a combination of design features that produce disordered gaming patterns more reliably than other games on the market. Once a child has been conditioned by those patterns, the resulting behavior tends to carry over to other games and other platforms. The gateway games, plaintiffs contend, are where the harm begins. 

The federal panel that reviewed these arguments adopted the terminology in its December 2025 order, observing that “the products at issue are what plaintiffs term in their briefs the ‘gateway’ video games Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft.” Whether a court ultimately accepts the gateway theory at trial remains to be seen. But the term itself is now embedded in the litigation record. 

Who Is Being Sued and What the Lawsuits Allege

The defendants in gateway games lawsuits include Roblox Corporation, Epic Games (the maker of Fortnite), Mojang AB and Microsoft Corporation (the makers and owner of Minecraft). Some complaints also name additional platform operators where the games were played. 

Three core allegations appear consistently across these cases:  

1. The companies failed to warn minors and their parents about the risks of excessive use, and failed to build in meaningful safeguards to limit compulsive play. 

2. The companies marketed their products specifically to children, knowing that young brains are particularly susceptible to the design features built into the games.  

3. The games lacked sufficient parental controls and age verification, allowing very young children to access content and reward systems that adults would have flagged as inappropriate. 

The specific design features named in complaints include:

• Variable-reward systems modeled on slot-machine mechanics
• Randomized loot boxes that exchange real money for digital prizes
• Algorithmic feedback loops that learn what keeps each individual child playing longer, and
• Social pressure mechanics that punish children for logging off

Plaintiffs argue these features were not accidents of design. They were deliberate engineering choices made to maximize engagement and revenue, with the foreseeable result that some children would develop diagnosable gaming disorder. 

Why These Three Games and Not Others

A reasonable question for any parent is why Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft have been singled out when so many other video games use similar design tactics. The answer comes down to a combination of factors that distinguish these three titles from the rest of the market. 

1. All three are heavily marketed to children, with substantial portions of their user bases under age 13. Plaintiffs argue that targeting children, who lack fully developed impulse control, transforms otherwise standard engagement design into something legally actionable. 

2. All three are free to download and rely on in-game purchases for revenue. This monetization model creates a direct financial incentive to maximize the time children spend in the game and the emotional investment they develop in their accounts, characters, and virtual possessions. 

3. All three are designed for indefinite play. They have no ending, no completion point, no natural stopping moment. A child who finishes a level in a traditional video game has a built-in opportunity to put the controller down. A child playing one of the gateway games does not. 

4. And all three are commonly the first online multiplayer experiences a child encounters.  

Plaintiffs argue this first-mover position is precisely what makes them gateway games. Patterns established at age six or seven shape gaming behavior for years afterward. 

Where the Litigation Stands Today

In December 2025, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation declined to consolidate gateway games addiction cases into a single federal MDL. This was the second time the panel had denied consolidation, the first being a broader 2024 request that included many more games and defendants. 

The denial of an MDL is not the end of the litigation. Cases continue to move forward in the federal districts where they were originally filed, and a substantial coordinated proceeding is underway in California. As of late 2025, more than 100 cases were consolidated in California’s Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding (JCCP) No. 5363, with additional federal cases pending in courts across the country and new cases filed each month. 

For families considering legal action, the practical effect of the no-MDL ruling is that cases will be heard in the federal district court covering the family’s home, rather than being transferred to a single national venue. Some attorneys see this as an advantage. Cases can proceed at their own pace rather than waiting years for bellwether trials in a centralized MDL. 

In addition to the lawsuits filed over video game addiction, Roblox is also the subject of a separate, parallel litigation focused on child sexual exploitation and predator contact on the platform. That MDL was approved in late 2025 and is proceeding in the Northern District of California. The two Roblox dockets, addiction and sexual exploitation, are distinct legal matters with different theories and different damages, but they share a common defendant.  

Who May Have a Claim

Families may have a potential claim if a child in the household played Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft, particularly starting at a young age, and subsequently developed signs consistent with gaming disorder. These signs include:  

• Loss of control over playtime 
• Prioritizing gaming over school, sleep, meals, or other activities 
• Withdrawal symptoms when gaming is restricted 
• Escalating play despite negative consequences, and 
• Significant declines in academic, social, or emotional functioning 

A formal diagnosis of gaming disorder by a licensed mental health professional strengthens a claim but is not always required to begin the legal evaluation process. Statutes of limitations vary by state and by the age of the affected minor. Tolling provisions for minors generally extend the deadline to file, but waiting carries risk and can complicate evidence preservation. 

Find Out Whether You Qualify & Start Your Claim Today

If you or a loved one believes a child in your family was harmed by Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft, contact Hissey Mulderig & Friend today to find out whether you and your family may be eligible to take legal action, or to begin the process of filing your claim today.  

Hissey Mulderig & Friend is currently investigating claims involving Roblox and other social media lawsuits. Our attorneys work on a strict contingency basis. This means you will never pay legal fees or other costs associated with filing a lawsuit unless our lawyers successfully recover damages in your case. 

Talk with our law firm to find out if you qualify to file a lawsuit or start your claim today by calling Hissey Mulderig & Friend toll-free at 1-866-806-8117. You can also contact us by sending us a message using our free claims submission form, located at the top of this page.