It is about to start raining cash for Fortnite players!
Game players who were affected by an unwanted purchase scam that took place between January 2017 and September 2022 are eligible for a refund after the online game finally settled with the Federal Trade Commission over their alleged fraudulent actions.
Fortnite Sets Aside $245M To Refund Players & Parents
On Tuesday, September 19, the FTC announced that it had begun the process of notifying video game players to apply for their portion of the refund.
It would be recalled that Epic Games, the parent company of Fornite, reached a settlement of $520 Million with the FTC in late 2022 over allegations that the free-to-play video game duped players with “deceptive interfaces” that could trigger in-game purchases.
$275 million USD was set aside to be paid as a fine to the FTC to resolve concerns related to children’s privacy in Fortnite while the remaining $245 million USD was centered towards refunding customers.
The company also allegedly collected personal information on Fortnite players under the age of 13 without informing their parents or getting their consent. As a result, several parents complained that their underage kids were able to make purchases without their permission.
FTC will continue emailing the aggrieved 37 million players who complained for an additional month, with the deadline for applying for a refund set for January 17, 2024.
Who Are Those Eligible For A Refund?
According to the FTC, applicants must be at least 18 years old to apply for a refund. Those eligible include game players who were charged in-game currency for items they didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022.
Also, parents whose children made charges to their credit cards without their knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018 are able to apply for a refund. Finally, if a player’s account was locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after complaining to their credit card company about wrongful charges, they are eligible for a refund.
Players need to apply to this website with a claim number or your Epic Account ID. As for how much the refund will be, FTC declares that the payment amount will depend on several factors, including how many people file a claim.
Per reports, the refunds will be made specifically for in-game purchases such as outfits and loot boxes, as well as Fortnite’s virtual currency V-Bucks.
After the settlement was made, Epic Games released a statement assuring that it tightened its policy concerning in-app purchases.
“Over the past few years, we’ve been making changes to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a helpful guide for others in our industry,” they wrote.
“We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players,” they assured.