Federal officials have determined that Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, deceived players into making undesired in-game purchases. As a result, thousands of Fortnite players are now eligible for refunds.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it would send more than $72 million in refunds to players ‘tricked’ by the developer.
In a news release on December 9, the company stated, ‘The FTC alleged that Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players of all ages to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button.’
This settlement is part of a larger $245 million fund that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will distribute to players as a resolution to the accusations of ‘unlawful billing practices’ that were brought against the company in 2022.
The agency already sent 629,344 total payments on December 9 – half on PayPal and the other through personal checks.Â
The government plans to send the remaining refunds to players at a later date, according to its press release.
The FTC would likely issue part of the $72 million refund to gamers if they’ve played Fortnite between January 2017 and September 2022 and submit a claim by January 10, 2025.
Players needing to file a claim can submit a request by mail or email to the FTC to receive a claim number.Â
Thousands of Fortnite players are eligible to receive a portion of more than $72 million in refunds being sent by the Federal Trade Commission
Gamers who do not receive a claim number can also request a refund if they know their Epic Account ID.
Players eligible for part of the $72 million refund can select ‘Apply for a Refund’ on the FTC’s website to fill out a form.
Once receiving access, gamers must fill out the information and select how they wish to receive the refund payments.
If the player selects PayPal, they must redeem their payment within 30 days, and those who choose personal checks are advised to cash it in within 90 days.
Gamers can also apply for this refund if children unknowingly made charges to credit cards between January 2017 and November 2018.
Players whose accounts for locked between January 2017 and September 2018 after submitting a complaint to credit card companies regarding wrongful charges are also eligible.Â
Despite the company claiming the average refund for these players is $114 per person, social media users claimed they’ve received $300 to $400 from the company.
Others claimed they were still waiting for their refunds, and at least two X users tweeted the claim for was ‘easy to fill out.’Â
Fortnite was developed by Epic Games and released in 2017.Â
Various X users claimed they received over $114 in refunds and many are awaiting notifications from the company
It features multiple games and experiences like Fortnite Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite and Rocket Racing.
Players can download Fortnite on various video game systems, including PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
Games can also play Fortnite on their iPhone and Android cellular devices and iPads.
Anyone playing Fortnite on a proper device must have a stable internet connection to play the games, according to its website.
Players are allowed to play several games featured on the platform free of charge on phones and video game systems.
Over one million players signed up for Fortnite in 2017, and it currently averages over 30 million active users per day. Â
Fortnite multiple games and experiences like Fortnite Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite, and Rocket Racing
As of 2024, Fortnite averages more than 30 million active users a day
Despite its popularity, Fortnite has a checkered history.
Fortnite was hit with a massive $520 million fine in 2022 after the game collected young gamers’ data without parents’ permission.Â
The FTC confirmed in a 2022 news release the exact reason was that the company allegedly violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and ‘deployed design tricks, known as dark patterns, to dupe millions of players into making unintentional purchases.
‘As our complaints note, Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children,’ said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan at the time.Â
‘Protecting the public, and especially children, from online privacy invasions and dark patterns is a top priority for the Commission, and these enforcement actions make clear to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on these unlawful practices.’
Following the fine, the company changed its default settings and issued refunds to millions of gamers.
The refunds for these practices were also from the $245 million settlement, and players eligible for refunds were required to file claims by January 17, 2024.
