Magnesium alloys are the lightest structural material; thus, their demand in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical fields has increased remarkably. The development of laser additive manufacturing technique allows for the production of high-performance magnesium alloy parts with complex structures. In this paper, we review the local and international manufacturing of magnesium alloys via laser additive manufacturing. The effects of laser process parameters and powder material on surface morphology, spheroidization, defect, porosity, loss of alloying elements, microstructure characteristics, mechanical properties, and numerical modeling are introduced. The limitations and gaps in the researches on magnesium alloys are summarized herein. In addition, an overview of future research prospects and the applications of magnesium alloys are discussed.