Professor Thomas Burelli took on online toxicity at Otakuthon 2025, a “delightful topic” in his own words. His talk is now online, and he returns to the stage in 2026.
“A delightful topic, a truly cheerful one: toxicity in video games.” That is the ironic note on which Thomas Burelli, a professor in the Civil Law Section at the University of Ottawa, opened his panel at Otakuthon 2025. Joined by Gabriel Cadieux, a doctoral student in law, he presented a year of research on a subject few legal scholars dare to tackle.
A good deal of online aggression has become routine: insults, fits of rage, players who slam the door mid-match. Over time, it starts to feel normal. But the same environment is home to far heavier acts, from death threats to hate speech to sexual harassment, all of which fall under the Criminal Code. At the extreme, some players even resort to doxxing or swatting. And yet, in practice, these behaviours almost always go unpunished. Professor Burelli explains why it is often faster to get banned for leaving a match than for threatening someone’s life, and what the industry’s much-cited “5% of disruptive players” figure is really worth.
To illustrate this impunity, he draws on a case he knows well: his own. Death threats received in-game, months of fruitless exchanges with the platform’s support service, a complaint the police turned down. A story worth hearing.
Professor Burelli returns to Otakuthon 2026
Good news for anyone curious about video game law: Thomas Burelli is back at Otakuthon, running August 7 to 9, 2026 at the Palais des congrรจs de Montrรฉal. Three new French language panels are on the program.
Dangerous Games Ahead! Can We Trust Online Stores’ Video Game Ratings? Friday, 3 to 4 p.m., Room 512CDGH
Video Game Heist: The Free Games That End Up Costing Us Dearlyโฆ Saturday, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Room 512CDGH
The Stories, Big and Small, That Shaped Esports Sunday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Room 512CDGH
Together, these three sessions extend the inquiry that began with toxicity, in a field where the law still has plenty to say. See you there!
