Fortnite Devs Must Pay Cheated Gamers and Parents as Much as $245 Million
The Federal Trade Commission has made a final decision on fines for Epic Games. Fortnite's business model was deemed a threat to players.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which in recent months has been expressing its concern about the state of the game industry, acting as one of the institutions assessing the legality of the merger between Microsoft and Activision, this time turned its attention to another giant, specifically the developers of Fortnite.
Evaluation and process of fining Epic Games
Where did it all start? In December 2022 we reported about the surprising fine imposed by the FTC on Epic Games, which was expected to total as much as $520 million. The authorization process for this fine was finalized on Monday.
- Already the previous year, the creators of Fortnite had agreed to pay a portion of the fine, which was a fine for violating child-related laws (amounting to $275 million).
- Earlier this week, the remaining amount, a reference to the losses of players and parents of the youngest fans of Fortnite, was approved in a vote by the commission.
From the official announcement of the FTC's decision, we can learn that Epic Games is to pay a $245 million fine for "using non-obvious solutions, tricking players into unwanted purchases and enabling children to make payments without parental supervision."
Compensation under FTC scrutiny
As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission attests, the latest fine imposed on Epic Games is not meant to be a simple punishment that will go unnoticed in the bureaucratic ether. The entire amount paid by the makers of Fortnite is to be used for refunds and reparations to wronged players.
Who is eligible for compensation from the FTC?
- Parents whose children made unauthorized credit card purchases from Epic Games Store between January 2017 and November 2018.
- Fortnite players, who were charged in-game currency (V-bucks) for unwanted in-game items (such as cosmetic items, llamas or passes) between January 2017 and September 2022.
- Fortnite players whose accounts were blocked between January 2017 and September 2022 after disputing unauthorized credit card charges.
However, the evaluation of individual cases rests in the hands of the commission.
