Federal Trade Commission To Issue Over $72M In First Round Of Refunds From Epic Games To Fortnite Users

Nearly 630,000 Fortnite players were reportedly “tricked” into making purchases through the game and will receive a refund.

According to a press release, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reportedly accused Fortnite developer Epic Games of leading gamers to make “unwanted purchases” by carrying out tactics through its game button configuration.

“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,” the press release from the FTC read.

It had also been brought to light that Epic Games had allowed minors to accumulate charges without parental approval and blocked gamers who filed disputes of unauthorized charges, preventing them from obtaining items they had purchased. For these reasons, the company received an order from the FTC to refund players in December 2022 who had been subjected to these “unlawful billing practices.” The case was settled with Epic Games required to pay out $245 million, which was the largest amount the FTC has requested from the gaming industry, per USA Today. 

“As our complaints note, Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in December 2022, according to CBS News. “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.”

Now, the FTC is issuing payments to 629,344 Fortnite players via PayPal and checks, with average refund amounts being $114. It will first send more than $72 million in payments, and more rounds of refunds will follow, per the press release. 

Epic Games have commented on the matter stating, per USA Today, “We will continue to be upfront about what players can expect when making purchases, ensure cancellations and refunds are simple, and build safeguards that help keep our ecosystem safe and fun for audiences of all ages.”

For users who have further questions, they can contact refund administrator Rust Consulting Inc. at 1-833-915-0880 or send an email to admin@fortniterefund.com.

For those looking to file a claim, the deadline is Jan. 10, 2025.