Key takeaways from the 2025 Video Game Law Summit in Shanghai

We were delighted to attend the 2025 Video Game Law Summit in Shanghai.  This event brings together legal professionals active in the video games industry, with a mission to build a vibrant global community by providing resources, fostering professional relationships, and supporting the education of its members.

The video game industry maintains its position as the largest entertainment sector globally, with its popularity on the rise and user numbers expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2030. In our Games and Interactive Entertainment Legal Outlook 2025 we highlighted that there is an increasing consumer focus on the potential risks associated with online video games for children due to the growing number of young gamers. For this reason, regulators around the world are responding with an even stronger emphasis on platforms taking measures to improve child safety online generally.

These and other legal themes impacting the video game industry took the centre stage at the 25VGLS.

Key takeaways from the 2025 VGLS Shanghai 

Our partner and Global Co-Head of Games and Interactive Entertainment, Alex Roberts, and Linklaters Zhao Sheng associates in Shanghai Tiantian Ke and Ruoyi Lu, participated in a series of discussions on the evolving legal landscape for the global gaming industry.

Here are our key takeaways from the event:

01| Child protection is now a strategic imperative

In addressing greater regulatory attention to the protection of children in the online environment, reframing child protection from a compliance burden to a strategic imperative is key. As Alex highlighted in his panel discussions focused on Protecting the Next Generation, robust compliance with standards evolving across the world, such as the GDPR and the UK Children's Code, is now a prerequisite for market access. 

In the UK, for example, the Online Safety Act has introduced world-leading measures impacting a broad spectrum of businesses, including video games services where there are user-to-user features like multiplayer interaction. Companies are required to implement safety measures to protect children from harmful content and, as of 25 July 2025, all sites and apps that allow adult content must have strong age checks in place. 

In a recent interview with the Guardian, Senior Associate Ria Moody noted that “Age assurance measures must be very accurate. UK regulatory Ofcom has said that self-declaration of age, or terms of service saying users must be over 18, are not highly effective measures and so platforms should not rely on these alone.” Failure to comply with these new UK provisions could lead to fines of up to £18m or 10% of the company’s qualifying worldwide revenue. 

Ria’s and Patrick O'Connell's UK OSA insights were central to some of Alex’s up-to-the-minute sharings for the audience at VGLS. Through our team’s work with our clients, we are seeing first-hand that having robust child online safety compliance measures in place is fundamental to building the player trust that underpins long-term commercial success. 

02| Expanding overseas demands a global legal mindset 

The summit's theme resonated across all discussions, from the strategic role of in-house counsel in global operations to managing cross-border intellectual property. 

It is clear that for companies expanding internationally, success now depends not only on creating a great game but on building a sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional legal and compliance framework from the outset.

03| The "one-size-fits-all" Terms of Service is no longer viable  

In another critical discussion Alex led on managing risk in user agreements, the consensus was that the “one-size-fits-all” Terms of Service is no longer a sustainable model. Divergent legal frameworks, such as the unenforceability of US-style arbitration clauses for consumers in the European Union, make a single global TOS legally perilous. 

The clear best practice is now a “core and addenda” model, tailoring terms with jurisdictional annexes to ensure local enforceability.

04| The future is one of greater transparency and accountability  

Panel discussions on new regulations like the EU Digital Services Act underscored a clear trend toward greater transparency and user protection. With the benefit of insights from London Managing Associate Paddy O’Connell on Linklaters’ recent projects in the UK and Europe in the gaming and social media space, Alex was able to share practical insights with the VGLS audience on the DSA and GDPR.

This will require companies to embed clear communication and fairness into their core operations, from content moderation and advertising systems to the design of the user experience itself. 

Navigating the compliance challenge 

The global gaming industry is one of the most dynamic sectors in the global economy, and the law is constantly evolving to keep pace. Emerging regulations are shaping market opportunities in the sector within the sector, prompting companies to prioritise regulatory compliance in their strategic planning.

For our Games and Interactive Entertainment specialists, helping clients navigate this complexity is not just about managing risk; it is about being part of the journey as they build incredible experiences for players worldwide!

See our Games and Interactive Entertainment page to find out more about our work and thought leadership in the space.