FTC Forces Epic Games To Refund Some ‘Fortnite’ Players in Massive Suit
Fortnite has become something of a strange oddity within the video game industry. It’s not only one of the most popular competitive games of all time, but it has amassed a superculture in and of itself.
There are Fortnite memes, Fortnite music videos, a staggering collection of Fortnite merch, and some of the most ambitious crossovers in human history. In what other game can you find Rick from Rick & Morty, Goku, Naruto, Spider-Man, and Lara Croft, all in the same room?
And there’s another thing Fortnite is quite good at: predatory business practices. According to CBS News, Epic Games was accused of using shady practices to manipulate consumers into buying microtransactions and in-game items, such as dark patterns, which are design elements made in such a way to trick you into doing certain things.
The lawsuit culminated in a staggering $520 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which Epic Games will now have to pay out to around 37 million people. Many of these users will be notified about the settlement and be entitled to a refund. The FTC has an outline you can check to see if you are eligible, which you may be if:
- You were charged in-game currency for unwanted purchases between January 2017 and September 2022
- Your child charged your credit card to for in-game purchases without your knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018
- Your account was locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after you complained to your credit card company about unwanted changes from playing Fortnite
If any of these apply to you, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to file a claim around October 19. There is a website users can go to with further instructions on claim filing. No one yet knows how much the individual refunds will be, so keep an eye out for future details.
This isn’t the first time Epic has been in hot water either. As noted by NBC News, the video game company was caught stealing dance choreographies from people multiple times, then selling them in the Epic Games store. The company reportedly doesn’t pay out royalties to these individuals nor asks for permission first, which has generated ample controversy of its own.
As Fortnite continues to generate billions of dollars of revenue for Epic, concerns over its exploitative business practices will likely get more intense over time. This settlement may just be one of many to come.
(featured image: Epic Games)
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