Fortnite’s developer Epic Games is being made to pay more than $72 million total to hundreds of thousands of gamers located in the U.S. who were “tricked” into making unwanted in-game purchases.
The popular online survival game, which sees players fight to be the last one standing, settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations it “unlawfully” charging players for “unwanted purchases, let children rack up unauthorized charges with their parents’ permission, and blocked some users who disputed wrongful charges from accessing their purchased content.”
The FTC made the announcement Monday (December 9) that it would be sending out its first round of payments to 629,344 players who fell victim to Fortnite’s “unlawful billing practices” and submitted a claim by October 8.
Additional refunds will be made at a later date for those who submitted a claim after October 8.
The settlement stems from a December 2022 order obtained by the FTC that was finalized in March 2023. “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,” the FTC website states. “For example, players could be charged while attempting to wake the game from sleep mode, while the game was in a loading screen, or by pressing an adjacent button while attempting simply to preview an item.”
As part of the settlement, Epic Games is required to obtain positive consent before charging users. It is also banned from locking players out of their accounts for disputing unauthorized charges.
Who is eligible for a refund?
You may apply for a refund if any of the below statements are true:
1. You were charged in-game currency for items you didn’t want between January 2017 to September 2022
2. Your child made charges to your credit card without your knowledge between January 2017 to September 2018
3. Your account was locked between January 2017 to September 2022 after you complained to your credit card company about wrongful charges
Applicants must be at least 18 years old to file a claim. If you are not yet 18, you must have a parent or guardian complete the form.
At the moment, the FTC is limiting claims to Fortnite players located in the U.S.
How can I submit a claim?
Eligible gamers can visit this link to file a claim. The deadline to file a claim is January 10, 2025. If you’ve already filed a claim, you don’t need to do anything else. The FTC is currently reviewing claims and will share more information soon.
You will need your claim number or your Epic Account ID to apply for a refund. If you didn’t receive an email with a claim number, you can follow these steps.
How much will I receive?
According to the FTC, the average payment is around $114 per customer. However, the payment amount will depend on several factors, including the number of people filing a claim.
Where will my refund be sent?
The application will give you the option to receive your refund by check or through PayPal. If you were sent a check, you will need to cash it within 90 days. For those who received PayPal payments, you must accept it within 30 days.
Other answers to commonly asked questions about FTC refund payments can be found on the FAQ page.
