QR Codes for Game Developers
Downloads, events, and kid-safe links
Store pages, event rewards, patch notes, and community hubs are where game QR codes usually send players.
The maker of Genshin Impact agreed to pay $20 million in January 2025 to settle FTC charges, including that it collected children’s personal information without parental consent.
Codes that link accounts or hand out rewards need the same care with young players.
160+ reviews from
Where Game Studios Use QR Codes
Each code bridges a physical moment and the game.
Store Pages
From the booth to the download
A code on a poster or booth opens your App Store, Google Play, or Steam page.
Event Rewards
Codes that respect age gates
A code at a convention opens a reward page that checks age before collecting any data.
Patch Notes
What changed this season
A code on a launch poster or stream overlay opens the current patch notes.
Community
Join the server or forum
A code on merch or packaging opens your official Discord, forum, or newsletter.
What Are QR Codes for Game Developers?
A game developer QR code is a printed or on-screen code that opens a store page, patch notes, community hub, or event reward page. If the page it opens collects personal information from children under 13, COPPA’s notice and parental consent rules apply.
What the FTC’s Genshin Impact Settlement Shows
The FTC’s January 17, 2025 announcement describes the case against developer Cognosphere, known in the U.S. as HoYoverse.
- Penalty: The company agreed to pay $20 million.
- COPPA claims: The complaint alleged the game collected personal information from children under 13 without parental notice and consent.
- Data shared: User IDs and device identifiers were allegedly shared with analytics firms and advertisers.
- Loot boxes for teens: Children under 16 cannot buy loot boxes without a parent’s affirmative express consent.
- Odds and currency: The order requires disclosing loot box odds and virtual currency exchange rates.
- Data deletion: The company must delete personal information collected from children under 13 unless it obtains parental consent.
What a Game QR Code Can Open
- Store page: Download links for each platform.
- Patch notes: Current changes and known issues.
- Community hub: Official Discord, forum, or subreddit.
- Event page: Schedules, rewards, and age-appropriate signups.
- Support page: Account help and parental controls.
How to Create a Game QR Code in TLinky
Use one dynamic code per campaign, so a convention poster can point to the event page during the show and the store page after it.
Here is the step by step guide:
- Log in to your TLinky account, click Create, then select QR Code.
- Name the code after the game and event.
- Select Application for store listings, or Link for patch notes and community pages.
- Enter the store links or page URL.
- Customize Templates, Colors, and Design to match the game’s art, click Generate QR, then Save Changes and download.
Pro Tip: Keep reward codes off pages that collect emails until you know the player’s age.
Scan to Play. Safely.
Where Game Studios Place QR Codes
- Convention booths and posters: Store pages and event rewards on QR code posters.
- Stream overlays: Patch notes and community links.
- Retail boxes and merch: Community hubs and newsletters.
- In-game screens: Event and support links shown as QR codes in video games.
- Trailers: Wishlist or preorder pages.
- Parent guides: Parental controls and support.
Keep Game Codes Kid-Safe
- Age-gate before collecting data: Ask for age before an email or account link on reward pages.
- Get parental consent for under-13 players: COPPA requires notice and verifiable consent before collecting their data.
- Avoid sharing IDs with ad partners: The FTC alleged that sharing identifiers without consent violated COPPA.
- Disclose odds clearly: If a code leads to loot box offers, show odds and real-money costs.
- Link parents to controls: Put a parental controls code in packaging and guides.
New Season. Same Poster.
The convention poster can promote the event during the show and the store page the week after.
Game Developer QR Code Questions
What did the Genshin Impact settlement require?
A $20 million penalty, parental consent for loot box purchases by children under 16, disclosure of odds and exchange rates, and COPPA compliance, per the FTC.
Does COPPA apply to QR code reward pages?
If the page collects personal information from children under 13, COPPA’s parental notice and consent rules apply, whatever brought the child to the page.
Should game QR codes collect emails?
Only after an age check. For players under 13, you need verifiable parental consent first.
What should a convention QR code open?
The event page during the show, then the store or wishlist page afterward. A dynamic code lets you switch.
Can one QR code link to every app store?
Use a page that lists each store, or separate codes for each platform, so every player lands on the right store.
See How QR Codes Can Grow Your Business
Other entertainment and tech businesses use codes for launches and fans.
TLinky’s Recognitions & Awards
Trusted by the Industry Experts that YOU trust
Start Your Game QR Code
Put store pages, patch notes, and community links on every poster and box, then switch each code from event to launch without reprinting.