Leon Xiao
@leonxiao.com
Assistant Professor @ CityUHK | Loot Boxes; Video Game Law 🎮🎰 | Empirical Legal & Policy Research | Pro Screenshotter 📱📸 | leonxiao.com
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Leon Xiao
@leonxiao.com
· Mar 27
I’m joining City University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor. By establishing the Creative Media Policy Observatory, we will ‘scale up’ and conduct more empirical research on video game law and regulation, and also explore the policy issues relating to adjacent creative media industries. 🔬⚖️🎮👾
R v Lakeman [2026] EWCA Crim 4 (www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWC...) just decided that "Gold Pieces," a premium virtual currency in Old School Runescape by Jagex, are "property" that can be stolen under UK criminal law.
January 19, 2026 at 12:22 PM
R v Lakeman [2026] EWCA Crim 4 (www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWC...) just decided that "Gold Pieces," a premium virtual currency in Old School Runescape by Jagex, are "property" that can be stolen under UK criminal law.
The Italian regulator 🇮🇹 acted against Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts back in 2019/2020: www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/..., requiring loot box presence and probability disclosures, etc.
However, nothing since… Until now!
However, nothing since… Until now!
January 19, 2026 at 9:41 AM
The Italian regulator 🇮🇹 acted against Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts back in 2019/2020: www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/..., requiring loot box presence and probability disclosures, etc.
However, nothing since… Until now!
However, nothing since… Until now!
Shortly after the UK @houseoflords.parliament.uk debate on #LootBoxes (see: lnkd.in/gTMy7qH3), the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk also debated gambling harms in relation to children and young people in Westminster Hall.
January 16, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Shortly after the UK @houseoflords.parliament.uk debate on #LootBoxes (see: lnkd.in/gTMy7qH3), the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk also debated gambling harms in relation to children and young people in Westminster Hall.
The UK @houseoflords.parliament.uk just debated #LootBoxes: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/.... Nothing new. The Government failed to address the question put and the evidence that industry self-regulation is obviously not working. Instead, the Government continues to refer to forthcoming research.
Parliamentlive.tv
House of Lords
parliamentlive.tv
January 15, 2026 at 12:01 PM
The UK @houseoflords.parliament.uk just debated #LootBoxes: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/.... Nothing new. The Government failed to address the question put and the evidence that industry self-regulation is obviously not working. Instead, the Government continues to refer to forthcoming research.
As announced last year, paid loot boxes are now back in Fortnite as a potential part of any third-party content, if that creator would like to implement them: www.gamesradar.com/games/fortni....
Fortnite now allows in-game purchases in user-generated Creative maps, including for randomized items, with Steal the Brainrot charging at least $37 for a loot box bundle
Players aren't happy about the change, safe to say
www.gamesradar.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:06 AM
As announced last year, paid loot boxes are now back in Fortnite as a potential part of any third-party content, if that creator would like to implement them: www.gamesradar.com/games/fortni....
Happy as a clam to have reeled in @jacksonwryan.com to trawl the internet for fishy Latin phrases landing in academic journals due, I suspect, to GenAI use with a malfunctioning Chinese model. 🐟🤖
🧪 Here's a science mystery to start the year.
Why are species names for fish and plants appearing in the scientific literature in papers about firefighter injuries, hearing loss and heart attack?
Is it AI? Translation tools? Something else?
nobreakthroughs.substack.com/p/is-this-fi...
Why are species names for fish and plants appearing in the scientific literature in papers about firefighter injuries, hearing loss and heart attack?
Is it AI? Translation tools? Something else?
nobreakthroughs.substack.com/p/is-this-fi...
January 12, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Happy as a clam to have reeled in @jacksonwryan.com to trawl the internet for fishy Latin phrases landing in academic journals due, I suspect, to GenAI use with a malfunctioning Chinese model. 🐟🤖
On Thursday, 15 January 2026, the UK @houseoflords.parliament.uk will debate the implementation of protection for children from #LootBoxes and in-game purchases further to a question posed by Lord Butler of Brockwell.
Watch online (I expect around noon?): parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
Watch online (I expect around noon?): parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
Parliamentlive.tv
House of Lords
parliamentlive.tv
January 11, 2026 at 6:32 AM
On Thursday, 15 January 2026, the UK @houseoflords.parliament.uk will debate the implementation of protection for children from #LootBoxes and in-game purchases further to a question posed by Lord Butler of Brockwell.
Watch online (I expect around noon?): parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
Watch online (I expect around noon?): parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
GachaCon 2026 is just one month away (12–13 February)! Preliminary programme: docs.google.com/spreadsheets.... Want to bag some GachaCon merch? Register for attendance: forms.gle/Mjk9tRo9TTSW....
January 9, 2026 at 5:41 AM
GachaCon 2026 is just one month away (12–13 February)! Preliminary programme: docs.google.com/spreadsheets.... Want to bag some GachaCon merch? Register for attendance: forms.gle/Mjk9tRo9TTSW....
How are #LootBoxes regulated across the world? Here’s my new annual edition of the Loot Box State of Play via @gibiz.bsky.social: www.gamesindustry.biz/loot-box-sta.... 🌍🌏🌎
Loot Box State of Play 2025: a ban in Brazil, non-compliance in Australia, a worrying wait for UK legislation and more
Researcher Leon Y. Xiao delivers his annual rundown on lootbox legislation around the world, and how developers and publishers should respond
www.gamesindustry.biz
December 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM
How are #LootBoxes regulated across the world? Here’s my new annual edition of the Loot Box State of Play via @gibiz.bsky.social: www.gamesindustry.biz/loot-box-sta.... 🌍🌏🌎
Long shot: can you help me reach a gerontology (ageing) expert? Thinking more and more about researching the experiences of older people playing video games, which is definitely understudied. Want to avoid reinventing the wheel.
December 10, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Long shot: can you help me reach a gerontology (ageing) expert? Thinking more and more about researching the experiences of older people playing video games, which is definitely understudied. Want to avoid reinventing the wheel.
A tale of two online posts about our impact on UK game advertising: www.asa.org.uk/rulings/hutc....
My LinkedIn post: 1k+ impressions (not bad!)
YouTube Shorts by @baitybait.bsky.social with 717k subs: 163k views & 9.5k likes!
Academia does need to think about other channels to reach the public!
My LinkedIn post: 1k+ impressions (not bad!)
YouTube Shorts by @baitybait.bsky.social with 717k subs: 163k views & 9.5k likes!
Academia does need to think about other channels to reach the public!
December 8, 2025 at 9:02 AM
A tale of two online posts about our impact on UK game advertising: www.asa.org.uk/rulings/hutc....
My LinkedIn post: 1k+ impressions (not bad!)
YouTube Shorts by @baitybait.bsky.social with 717k subs: 163k views & 9.5k likes!
Academia does need to think about other channels to reach the public!
My LinkedIn post: 1k+ impressions (not bad!)
YouTube Shorts by @baitybait.bsky.social with 717k subs: 163k views & 9.5k likes!
Academia does need to think about other channels to reach the public!
Another video game tries to illegally “BREAK FREE” from advertising regulation. But we will hold them to account! 🚨⛓️ Borderlands 4, published by 2K, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, contains in-game purchases, but its advertising failed to disclose this material information to consumers.
December 2, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Another video game tries to illegally “BREAK FREE” from advertising regulation. But we will hold them to account! 🚨⛓️ Borderlands 4, published by 2K, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, contains in-game purchases, but its advertising failed to disclose this material information to consumers.
Got a chance to try out Riftbound, the League of Legends trading card game in Simplified Chinese.
Gameplay is basically Magic: The Gathering, but mulligan/the mana system is Hearthstone: send back and redraw + you get two "lands" at the start of each turn.
Combat felt a bit like Marvel Snap…?
Gameplay is basically Magic: The Gathering, but mulligan/the mana system is Hearthstone: send back and redraw + you get two "lands" at the start of each turn.
Combat felt a bit like Marvel Snap…?
November 16, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Got a chance to try out Riftbound, the League of Legends trading card game in Simplified Chinese.
Gameplay is basically Magic: The Gathering, but mulligan/the mana system is Hearthstone: send back and redraw + you get two "lands" at the start of each turn.
Combat felt a bit like Marvel Snap…?
Gameplay is basically Magic: The Gathering, but mulligan/the mana system is Hearthstone: send back and redraw + you get two "lands" at the start of each turn.
Combat felt a bit like Marvel Snap…?
Wow! Very disappointing to see #LootBoxes and #SkinGambling REMOVED from the Gambling Commission Young People and Gambling 2025 survey.
Other stats just published: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-a...
Stark contrast to DCMS commissioning a skin gambling report: www.gov.uk/government/p...
Other stats just published: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-a...
Stark contrast to DCMS commissioning a skin gambling report: www.gov.uk/government/p...
Young People and Gambling 2025: Official statistics
www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
November 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Wow! Very disappointing to see #LootBoxes and #SkinGambling REMOVED from the Gambling Commission Young People and Gambling 2025 survey.
Other stats just published: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-a...
Stark contrast to DCMS commissioning a skin gambling report: www.gov.uk/government/p...
Other stats just published: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-a...
Stark contrast to DCMS commissioning a skin gambling report: www.gov.uk/government/p...
Not very Epic changes? Fortnite can now support #LootBoxes (or so-called #PaidRandomItems) in the context of user-generated content. BIG U-turn from Epic Games, which previously heavily criticised and removed all randomised in-game purchases from their games and reaped the PR benefits thereof. 🦙🌈⛏️
In Island Transactions Restrictions in Fortnite | Fortnite Documentation | Epic Developer Community
Understand the rules and restrictions for offering in-island purchases to players in different regions in Fortnite.
dev.epicgames.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Not very Epic changes? Fortnite can now support #LootBoxes (or so-called #PaidRandomItems) in the context of user-generated content. BIG U-turn from Epic Games, which previously heavily criticised and removed all randomised in-game purchases from their games and reaped the PR benefits thereof. 🦙🌈⛏️
Grateful to the Society for the Study of Addiction (@addiction-ssa.org) for awarding me the Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers 2025 in recognition of my “significant impact on the regulation of addictive elements in video games.”
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Grateful to the Society for the Study of Addiction (@addiction-ssa.org) for awarding me the Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers 2025 in recognition of my “significant impact on the regulation of addictive elements in video games.”
New Call of Duty ad breaches its duty to consumers. 🪖🚫🙅🏻♀️ As soon as you walk out of Newcastle train station (26,000 daily visitors): a clear breach of UK @adstandards.bsky.social Advertising Standards Authority rule that advertising for video games must disclose the presence of any in-game purchases.
November 7, 2025 at 4:57 PM
New Call of Duty ad breaches its duty to consumers. 🪖🚫🙅🏻♀️ As soon as you walk out of Newcastle train station (26,000 daily visitors): a clear breach of UK @adstandards.bsky.social Advertising Standards Authority rule that advertising for video games must disclose the presence of any in-game purchases.
“MEPs to discuss protection of children and adolescents online” happening later today (14:30 CET): www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres.... 🇪🇺
MEPs to discuss protection of children and adolescents online | News | European Parliament
In a hearing on Tuesday, MEPs and guest speakers will analyse key challenges and EU policy solutions to better protect minors in digital environments.
www.europarl.europa.eu
November 4, 2025 at 6:55 AM
“MEPs to discuss protection of children and adolescents online” happening later today (14:30 CET): www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres.... 🇪🇺
Not sure why and how the factually incorrect idea that "Loot boxes have generally been moved away from" (source: www.eurogamer.net/valve-does-n...) has entered into the public consciousness.
Our results show that loot box prevalence rates amongst mobile games have INCREASED in recent years.
Our results show that loot box prevalence rates amongst mobile games have INCREASED in recent years.
Valve does not get "anywhere near enough criticism" for the gambling mechanics it uses to monetise games, DayZ creator Dean Hall says
Dean Hall, the creator of DayZ and more recently Icarus, has called out Valve regarding the use of gambling-related mon…
www.eurogamer.net
October 30, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Not sure why and how the factually incorrect idea that "Loot boxes have generally been moved away from" (source: www.eurogamer.net/valve-does-n...) has entered into the public consciousness.
Our results show that loot box prevalence rates amongst mobile games have INCREASED in recent years.
Our results show that loot box prevalence rates amongst mobile games have INCREASED in recent years.
Recently, CEO and co-founder of Supercell, Ilkka Paananen, was perplexed as to why the EU wants to regulate the video game industry more (www.linkedin.com/posts/ilkkap...).
Let’s show him.
Let’s show him.
October 30, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Recently, CEO and co-founder of Supercell, Ilkka Paananen, was perplexed as to why the EU wants to regulate the video game industry more (www.linkedin.com/posts/ilkkap...).
Let’s show him.
Let’s show him.
Podcast episode in which I chat with Michael Auer and Jon Bruford about pity mechanics (guarantee you get the rare reward after X tries) in the context of gambling-like products (Labubu, loot boxes, etc.): www.thegamblingfiles.com/captivate-po....
Pity mechanics are a next step for research. Heed!
Pity mechanics are a next step for research. Heed!
Addiction 1: The Psychology Behind Loot Box Mechanics
Hosts Dr Michael Auer and Jon Bruford explore the Labubu craze and the rise of blind box purchasing, essentially a gambling mechanism that is widely acc...
www.thegamblingfiles.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Podcast episode in which I chat with Michael Auer and Jon Bruford about pity mechanics (guarantee you get the rare reward after X tries) in the context of gambling-like products (Labubu, loot boxes, etc.): www.thegamblingfiles.com/captivate-po....
Pity mechanics are a next step for research. Heed!
Pity mechanics are a next step for research. Heed!
Monetization mechanisms in gacha games: The behavioral triad of pricing strategies, pity systems, and belief of luck
doi.org/10.1016/j.en....
Pity mechanics in gacha and loot boxes are not all fun and games?
Postives: predictable maximum spending; arguably, less random.
Negatives: more spending?
doi.org/10.1016/j.en....
Pity mechanics in gacha and loot boxes are not all fun and games?
Postives: predictable maximum spending; arguably, less random.
Negatives: more spending?
October 27, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Monetization mechanisms in gacha games: The behavioral triad of pricing strategies, pity systems, and belief of luck
doi.org/10.1016/j.en....
Pity mechanics in gacha and loot boxes are not all fun and games?
Postives: predictable maximum spending; arguably, less random.
Negatives: more spending?
doi.org/10.1016/j.en....
Pity mechanics in gacha and loot boxes are not all fun and games?
Postives: predictable maximum spending; arguably, less random.
Negatives: more spending?
For the record, here's the 11 August 2025 order to remove LS v Apple from the CJEU's list of cases following the parties' settlement: eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/4....
EUR-Lex - 62025CB0047 - EN - EUR-Lex
eur-lex.europa.eu
October 24, 2025 at 1:58 AM
For the record, here's the 11 August 2025 order to remove LS v Apple from the CJEU's list of cases following the parties' settlement: eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/4....
Finally, Apple has conceded (slightly) and made it possible for game developers to more easily disclose the presence of #LootBoxes and other gambling-like in-game purchases on their App Store product pages. 🎁 However, obvious improvements are needed!
October 23, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Finally, Apple has conceded (slightly) and made it possible for game developers to more easily disclose the presence of #LootBoxes and other gambling-like in-game purchases on their App Store product pages. 🎁 However, obvious improvements are needed!