FTC plans to use settlement money to refund Fortnite gamers
Epic Games, the company responsible for the popular online video game Fortnite, has agreed to pay $245 million to settle FTC allegations related to in-game purchases. According to the FTC, the company charged parents and gamers of all ages for unwanted items and locked the accounts of customers who disputed wrongful charges with their credit card companies.
The FTC plans to use the settlement money to provide refunds to Fortnite gamers in the U.S. who were affected by the company's billing and refund practices.
Who is eligible for a refund?
The FTC plans to make refunds available to:
- 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.
What will I need to do to get a refund?
If you believe that you are eligible for a payment, you don't need to do anything right now. When we have more information about the refund program, we will post updates here and send email notices to customers who paid for in-game purchases.
Remember, the FTC never asks you to pay to file a claim or get a refund. Don't pay anyone who promises you an FTC refund in exchange for a fee.
Where can I get more information?
For the latest information, you can:
- bookmark FTC.gov/Fortnite and check back often, or
- sign up to get e-mail updates about this refund program.