Play Fortnite? You could earn more than just V-Bucks.
The Federal Trade Commission said Monday it has resolved complaints with Fortnite maker Epic Games over children’s privacy and payment systems that trick players into making unwanted purchases.
Epic will pay $520 million to settle the case, including $245 million in refunds to customers, the FTC said.
“Epic used privacy-invading default settings and deceptive interfaces that misled Fortnite users, including teens and children,” FTC Chairman Lina Khan said in a statement.
Hoping to get a refund for your Fortnite habit? This is what you should know.
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Who can get a Fortnite settlement refund?
Parents whose children made unauthorized credit card purchases on the Epic Games Store between January 2017 and November 2018 are eligible. said the FTC.
Additionally, any player who charged V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency that can be purchased with real-world money, for unwanted in-game items between January 2017 and September 2022 can get a refund.
The refunds also apply to players whose accounts were locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after disputing unauthorized charges, the FTC said.
How can you get a Fortnite refund?
No program has yet been created to distribute rebates to customers as part of the agreement. The FTC said it will post updates on its website and send emails to customers who paid for in-game purchases once the program is released.
What did Epic Games do?
The agency claims that Epic collected data on children who played games without obtaining parental consent. The FTC also said the company enabled certain voice and text features by default that “harmed children and teens.”
Epic was also accused of creating “dark patterns” that trick players into making unwanted purchases and racking up unauthorized charges.
In a separate statementEpic said it has made several changes in recent years “to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be helpful guidance for others in our industry.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
