Abstract
The rapid expansion of the metaverse has transformed architects from mere designers of digital spaces into creators of socio-economic and cultural lifeworlds. This evolution raises new questions regarding their potential criminal liability. Traditional criminal laws—designed for physical environments—prove inadequate when confronted with emerging metaverse-related offenses, due to challenges such as transnational platforms, anonymous identities, and decentralized evidence. This paper adopts a descriptive-analytical method and an interdisciplinary approach across law, technology, and architecture to examine the attribution of criminal acts to architects through the three pillars of material act, mental element, and causal relationship. Findings suggest that architectural design within the metaverse may constitute a potentially criminal act; however, proving intent or gross professional negligence, as well as establishing a direct causal link between design decisions and the committed offense, remains highly ambiguous. Moreover, the lack of clear judicial jurisdiction and the blurred boundaries between individual liability of the architect and organizational responsibility of metaverse companies further complicate the issue. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop new legislative frameworks for defining offenses and jurisdiction, implement transparency-enhancing technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence for risk documentation and prediction, and establish professional ethical charters for metaverse architects. The study concludes that without such a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, victims may remain unprotected, while architects face vague and unpredictable accusations.