On Monday, Dec. 9, the Federal Trade Commission announced it has begun sending payments to Fortnite players who have claimed a share of the $245 million settlement agreed to by Epic Games for its unlawful behavior regarding unintended in-game purchases.
Fortnite players charged for unwanted purchases between January 2017 and September 2022 still have a month left to participate in the settlement by filing a claim before Jan. 10, 2025.
In the settlement, the FTC concluded that Epic Games used design tricks known as dark patterns to make in-game sales. "Fortnite's counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button," the agency said in its March 2023 announcement.
Now the FTC says that 629,344 payments are going out to players who made those in-game purchases and who filed a valid claim by Oct. 8. The average payout is about $114 per customer.
Eligible Fortnite claims will be paid via check or PayPal.
Screenshot by CNETOne CNET staffer received his PayPal deposit (for $95.98) from a Fortnite claim on Monday afternoon, a pleasant surprise since he had forgotten about the settlement.
Epic's Fortnite is wildly popular, especially with teens; in one game event last year, 44.7 million players participated on a single day. But the free-to-play game relies on players buying Battle Passes and other items with V-Bucks, the in-game currency.
Like other games-as-platforms that have a large audience of young people, such as Roblox, Fortnite has evolved on how to make its game secure for young people and to ensure that payments aren't being generated without the player's authorization.
Who can file a Fortnite claim?
The Fortnite settlement applies to anyone who was charged for in-game currency for items they did not want to purchase between January 2017 and September 2022; if a child made credit card charges without a parent's knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018; or if an account was locked after a charge was disputed between January 2017 and September 2022.
Those filing must be 18 or older; minors can ask a parent or guardian to complete the form on their behalf.
How can I file a Fortnite claim?
The claims window for the FTC's Fortnite settlement is still open for those who haven't filed yet. The window closes on Jan. 10, 2025, the deadline to file a claim for this settlement.
When you visit the FTC's Epic Games/Fortnite page to file a claim, you will be asked if you received a notification email from the FTC with a claim number. If you have a claim number, select Yes, click Next, then provide your claim number and solve a CAPTCHA test to submit your claim.
If you didn't receive a notification or no longer can find your claim number, you can apply for a Fornite claim using your Epic account ID. If you're not sure of your Epic account ID, follow these steps from the Epic Games support page.
Epic Games introduced LEGO Fortnite back in December 2023.
Epic GamesWhen and how will I receive my money from the FTC?
Eligible claims submitted by Oct. 8, 2024, have already started receiving payments from the FTC, according to its Dec. 9 announcement. The FTC has not yet indicated when payments for claims made after Oct. 8 will occur, only that it is "reviewing claims filed after that date and will provide more information soon."
During the claims process on the FTC site, you will be able to specify whether you'd like to be paid with a check or via PayPal. Checks must be cashed within 90 days, and PayPal payments must be accepted within 30 days. For questions about your payment, you can call a claims support hotline at 1-800-915-0880 or email [email protected].
Will filing a claim against Epic Games affect my Fortnite account?
According to the FTC, filing a claim will not impact the status of a player's Fortnite account. For more information, see the FTC's Fortnite refunds FAQ.
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