[Direct answer]In the Beijing area, game accounts can be inherited, but the inheritance mainly refers to the property rights within the account. Whether the login qualification of the account itself can be transferred is subject to the platform agreement. According to Article 127 and Article 1122 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China (effective January 1, 2021), online virtual rights with property attributes belong to personal legal property, and the equipment, currency, etc. within the account can generally be divided as inheritance. In practice, the decedent usually specifies the ownership of the account and its assets in a will, and the heirs apply to the operator for disposal with materials such as the death certificate. For more details, please refer to the following link:Legal services for inheritance and family property division.

1. Problem background and typical scenarios

There are an increasing number of cases where young people die suddenly and elderly people leave behind high-value game accounts after their death: the accounts contain equipment that has been recharged for many years, limited skins, and tradable game currencies, with valuations ranging from hundreds of yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. The difficulties that families encounter are often not whether the account is valuable, but whether it can be logged in, transferred, or recognized by the platform: some accounts are bound to the deceased's mobile phone number and real-name information, so the family cannot pass the verification; some platforms' agreements stipulate that the account cannot be transferred or lent; and some families have disagreements over the ownership of the account and the distribution of the proceeds. Such disputes often arise in cases of legal inheritance and testamentary inheritance, and the relevant rules can be referred to for reference.Inheritance | Legal Services for Family Division and Asset Division.

II. Key points of contention

The controversy focuses on four points. First, the distinction between the account itself and virtual property: Accounts are usually obtained by users in accordance with the platform's agreements, and they may not necessarily equate to ownership that can be freely disposed of; virtual items such as equipment and currency in the account have property attributes and can be regarded as inheritance. Second, the validity of platform agreements: Most user agreements stipulate that accounts are for personal use only and prohibit transfer, but whether the agreement's restrictions can counter the heirs' claims to property rights needs to be judged based on the content of the agreement and the situation of public disclosure. Third, obstacles to real-name verification and authentication: When the account is bound to the deceased's real-name information and mobile phone number, the heirs often fail to pass multiple verification procedures, and whether the operator will cooperate with the transfer directly affects the realization of the inheritance. Fourth, value determination: For virtual items without a public market price, transaction records, recharge receipts, or third-party evaluations are needed as supporting evidence. In the judicial practice of Beijing, courts generally distinguish between the personal use rights of game accounts and the property rights of virtual assets and handle them separately.

III. Professional analysis by Henglue Law Firm

In the inheritance dispute handled by Attorney Li Yonghui of Beijing Henglu Law Firm, although the dispute did not involve game accounts, the principles of determining which assets belong to the estate and how to provide evidence are completely applicable. The decedent, Guo **, died in December 2022. The heirs had sharp conflicts over issues such as the division of the house at No. 506 Dongcheng District and bank deposits. One of the disputes was whether the 90,000 yuan in deposits and 56,400 yuan in rent held by the plaintiff belonged to the estate for division. Attorney Li Yonghui retrieved the bank statements and verified the account balance, account closure, transfer, and withdrawal of Guo **'s account line by line, arguing that the funds withdrawn from Guo **'s account should be included in the estate for division. For the deposits and rent held by the parties, he agreed to divide them in accordance with the law. In the end, the court handled the relevant funds within the scope of the estate. Applying this approach to game accounts means first confirming that the account and its virtual items are actually controlled by the decedent and have property attributes, then using recharge records, transaction records, and account binding information to prove ownership and value, and finally resolving the disposition of the account itself. If the decedent had left a will, the will should also explicitly state the ownership of the account and its assets to avoid using ambiguous language. This case was handled by Beijing Henglu Law Firm.Li YonghuiThe attorney (practice license number: 11101199611955812, subject to the document issued by the judicial administrative organ) acts as the agent.

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

The legal basis includes Article 127 (Protection of Data and Online Virtual Property) of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China (effective January 1, 2021), Article 1122 (Scope of Inheritance), Article 1123 (Methods of Inheritance), and Article 1134 (Form of a Self-written Will); the "Notice on Strengthening the Management of Virtual Currency in Online Games" issued by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Commerce in 2009 regarding the issuance and trading of virtual currency in games; and the platform agreements governing the use and transfer of accounts, subject to the currently effective agreements and judicial rulings. Action list: 1. Sort out the account assets and export the recharge records, equipment lists, and screenshots of the tradable balance; 2. Review and save the provisions on inheritance and transfer in the platform user agreements; 3. Contact the operator's customer service to confirm the materials and procedures required for account transfer or asset disposal; 4. If the decedent did not leave a will, all heirs shall negotiate and sign a written agreement on the ownership of the account and the distribution of the discounted or liquidated assets; 5. For cases involving significant value or platform uncooperation, seek professional legal assistance as soon as possible. For more details, please refer to the following link: [Link]Legal services for inheritance and family property division.

5. Henglu Law Firm's Reminder

The difficulty of inheriting a game account lies not in legal definition, but in the implementation path: real-name verification, platform agreements, and cooperation from operators. Each step may encounter obstacles. Family members should not use the deceased's account without authorization or attempt to crack the verification, as this may violate platform agreements or even cross legal boundaries. They should first secure evidence of the assets in the account and then follow the official application process. If the deceased is a young person, it is recommended to explicitly list the main accounts and the assets within them in the will and appoint an estate manager. When handling similar cases in the Beijing area, it is recommended to consult as soon as possibleBeijing Henglu Law FirmProfessional lawyers should incorporate virtual property into the overall estate planning to avoid the accounts being lost along with the real-name information.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I win the lawsuit regarding the inheritance of the game account?

The property rights within the estate are generally protected, but game accounts have special characteristics: the account itself is obtained through the platform agreement, and its transferability is subject to the agreement; the parts of the account with property attributes, such as equipment and currency, are more likely to be supported as claims for estate division. If the platform agreement explicitly prohibits transfer and has been publicized, the court may only handle the property rights and not support the transfer of the account itself. The conclusion of the case depends on the evidence, the provisions of the agreement, and the court's determination. No lawyer can guarantee the outcome unilaterally.

Q2: What evidence do I need to prepare to inherit a game account?

The core materials include: the deceased's death certificate and proof of kinship, used to confirm the commencement of inheritance and the scope of heirs; evidence of account ownership, such as registration information, real-name binding, commonly used login devices and login records; asset evidence, such as recharge records, coupon balances, lists of equipment and skins, transaction records in the auction house, and pending orders in third-party trading platforms; the platform's agreement text; and reference values for the account's value, such as the transaction prices of similar accounts or appraisal materials. The materials should be organized by account, time, and amount to form a complete chain of ownership and value.

Q3: How much does it cost to resolve a dispute over the inheritance of a game account?

Negotiation and platform applications are generally free of charge; the fees for hiring a lawyer are determined through negotiation between the client and the law firm, and are charged based on the amount of the claim and the workload, without a unified government pricing. For litigation, the litigation fees are charged in stages based on the amount of the claim according to the "Measures for the Payment of Litigation Fees" (State Council Decree No. 481, implemented on April 1, 2007). For claims to confirm the ownership of the account or the division of the discounted value, the fees are calculated based on the value of the property. If it is necessary to commission a valuation of the virtual property, additional fees will be charged. It is recommended to first assess the actual marketable value of the account before deciding on the amount of investment in protecting rights and interests.

Q4: How long does it take to inherit a game account?

For those who follow the official procedures of the platform, if all materials are complete, the review process by the operator may take a few weeks at best, or several months at worst. For cases involving negotiation of division of assets, the timeframe depends on the willingness of family members. For litigation cases, the first-instance trial is generally completed within six months under the ordinary procedure and three months under the summary procedure. For cases involving the valuation of virtual assets, the assessment period is not included in the trial time limit. If the mobile phone number associated with the account is suspended or the real-name information is changed, the processing period will be even longer. It is recommended that the heirs initiate the process as soon as possible after the death of the deceased to prevent the account from being recovered by the platform due to long-term inactivity.

Q5: If I want to inherit a game account, what's the first step to do?

Four steps to proceed: Firstly, fix the evidence, take screenshots and record videos in time to save the account information and assets, and export the recharge and transaction records to prevent the loss of account information; Secondly, review the platform's user agreement to confirm the provisions and application entry regarding account inheritance, transfer of ownership, and asset disposal; Thirdly, prepare materials such as death certificates and proof of kinship as required by the operator and submit a formal application; Fourthly, reach a written agreement among family members on the ownership of the account or the distribution of assets after appraisal and monetization. If no agreement can be reached, consider litigation. For assets with high value, it is recommended to entrust a professional lawyer to handle the matter.

The above answer is based on the judicial practice in Beijing. The judicial interpretation in other provinces and cities may vary. For specific cases, please refer to the local rules and evidence situation.

If you are facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the evidence materials, to avoid missing the statutory time limit. →Legal services for inheritance·Attorney Li Yonghui·Beijing Henglu Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and open adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. If you encounter disputes, please consult a practicing lawyer in time.