FTC vs Fortnite: Hundreds of Thousands of Players Eligible for Refunds After Unlawful Charges

In a significant development, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun issuing refunds to hundreds of thousands of Fortnite players in the United States who were unlawfully charged for unwanted in-game purchases. The refunds are part of a $245 million settlement with Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, which was finalized last year.

According to the FTC, 629,344 payments totaling more than $72 million have been sent out as part of the first round of refunds. These payments were made to players who were tricked into making unintended purchases due to Epic Games’ use of “dark patterns” and other deceptive practices. The average refund amount is approximately $114 per customer.

The FTC alleged that Epic Games allowed children to rack up unauthorized charges without parental involvement and blocked users who disputed wrongful charges from accessing their purchased content. The settlement addresses charges made between January 2017 and September 2022, including instances where children made credit card charges without parental knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018, and cases where accounts were locked after disputing charges with credit card companies.

Eligible consumers can still file a claim online until January 10, 2025. To apply, users need to provide a claim number or their Epic Account ID. The claims process does not affect existing Fortnite accounts, and refunds can be received via check or PayPal. Recipients are advised to cash checks within 90 days and accept PayPal payments within 30 days.

For more information, affected players can visit the FTC’s Fortnite refunds website or contact the refund administrator at 1-833-915-0880 or via email at [email protected].