Fortnite refunds averaging $114 are being delivered: There’s still time to file a claim
The Federal Trade Commission is delivering the first round of payments related to a settlement with the makers of the mega-popular game Fortnite.
The FTC announced the $245 million agreement with Epic Games in 2023 over charges the company used deception to trick players into unwanted purchases and let children rack up unauthorized charges without their parent’s knowledge.
The FTC alleged “Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players of all ages to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button. 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 agency said.
The FTC is sending some $72 million in payments to 629,344 users who filed a valid claim by Oct. 8 with an average payout of $114 per customer. Additional payments will be sent at a later time.
Some 3,426 recipients have received payments in Alabama with a median refund of $50.
Recipients picked their payment methods at the time of the filing. Recipients should redeem their PayPal payment within 30 days and cash their checks within 90 days.
Who is eligible for a refund?
- Parents whose children made an unauthorized credit card purchase in the 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 cosmetics, llamas, or battle passes) between January 2017 and September 2022.
- Fortnite players whose accounts were locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after disputing unauthorized charges with their credit card companies.
You can still file a claim
There’s still time if you’ve received notification about the suit but haven’t filed a claim. The deadline to file a claim is Jan. 10, 2025. You must be 18 or older to file or have a parent file on a minor’s behalf. A claim number and an Epic account ID are required.