Fortnite will refund over 37 million players who bought skins in massive 9-figure settlement
Published on Sep 22, 2023 at 4:44 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Sep 25, 2023 at 1:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
The software developer of the popular game Fortnite has found itself in hot water.
Epic Games has been accused of ‘tricking’ people into making purchases on the game.
And the developer is now having to pay dearly.
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On the off chance you’re not familiar with Fortnite, the multiplayer shooter game sees up to 100 people meet on a virtual island battling it out to be the champion.
The game is popular with all ages, with an average of 239 million gamers playing each month.
But there have been complaints surrounding its younger players.
Parents have been forced to fork out after their kids made purchases on the game without their parents’ permission.
Fortnite, which has been labeled as ‘highly addictive’, is actually free to play, but there are several in-game purchases gamers can make, such as ‘character skins’.
Epic Games has now been accused of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
It’s also been accused of using manipulative online practices, called ‘dark patterns’, tricking millions of players of all ages into making unwanted purchases.
“The company also made it easy for children to rack up charges without parental consent and locked the accounts of consumers who disputed unauthorized charges with their credit card companies,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in a statement.
The developer agreed in December 2022 to pay a multimillion dollar settlement as a consequence.
That settlement totals $520 million.
Part of the $520 million covers a $275 million fine on how Fortnite generates information about its users, including those aged 13 and under.
The fine is the largest ever given out by the FTC for breaking the rule.
The remainder will go towards refunding its customers, who can now claim for a chunk of the $245 million cash pot.
It’s expected 37 million people will claim part of the large sum, although it remains unclear how much money claimants will receive.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
