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Ana Diaz (she/her) is a culture writer at Polygon, covering internet culture, fandom, and video games. Her work has previously appeared at NPR, Wired, and The Verge.
Thanks to a 2022 settlement with Fortnite creator Epic Games, the Federal Trade Commission is now distributing around $114 worth in refunds to hundreds of thousands of people who played the game. The federal agency starting paying out the money on Monday, but it’s not too late to file a claim if you think you were impacted. This post will go over how to file a claim and how to check if you’re potentially eligible for the money.
How to file a Fortnite refund claim with the FTC
To file a claim you just need to fill out the official form from the FTC online. The form requires that people apply using a previously obtained claim number or your Epic Account ID. You need to be age 18 or older to fill it out. (Those under the age of 18 can ask a parent or legal guardian to fill out the form for them.) The FTC has issued a deadline to file claims before Jan. 10, 2025.
According to the FTC FAQ, the agency expects “to send additional payments in 2025” after it has “reviewed and validated all claims.” Those who selected to receive payment via PayPal much accept the payment within 30 days and those who opted for check must cash it within 90 days.
Fortnite FTC refund claim eligibility requirements
In the 2022 case, the FTC alleged that Fortnite violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and “deployed design tricks, known as dark patterns, to dupe millions of players into making unintentional purchases.” This set of payments pertains to those who unintentionally made in-game purchases in Fortnite.
The FTC website gives users a list of three bullet points that help guide whether or not you might be eligible. Here is full the list that determines if you may apply for a refund:
- You were charged in-game currency for items you didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022
- Your child made charges to your credit card without your knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018
- Your account was locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after you complained to your credit card company about wrongful charges
If you have any additional questions, the FTC encourages people to contact the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, via the listed contacts on its site.
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