FTC Refunds to Fortnite Players
Philadelphia – The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is in the process of issuing refunds to consumers who feel they were misled into making purchases from Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite.
In a recent announcement, the FTC mentioned that this payout, totaling over $126 million, is set to occur on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. This follows a prior round of payments exceeding $72 million that took place in December 2024.
These refunds are part of a broader $520 million settlement that Epic agreed to in 2022, addressing issues primarily around children’s privacy and payment methods within the Fortnite games. It’s interesting, really, how such a popular game can lead to these kinds of complications.
The FTC previously stated that the gaming company employed deceptive design tricks that encouraged Fortnite players, including many children, to make unintentional purchases with just a single button press. It’s almost astonishing how easily it can happen, perhaps even when a player is just trying to wake a game from sleep mode or accidentally touching a nearby button while browsing items.
Additionally, the FTC accused the company of blocking some users from accessing content they had already purchased if they contested those charges. That’s quite a situation—imagine trying to get a refund and getting blocked instead.
The settlement, which reached its conclusion in 2023, included over $275 million specifically related to collecting personal information from players under 13 years old, along with a customer refund amount of about $245 million.
Out of this total, around $189 million has been distributed, including the December payments and the recent refunds. The current refunds are being directed to those who submitted valid claims before February 14. Claims made after that date are still under review, according to FTC guidelines.
The FTC has also stated that they will restart the billing process. Eligible consumers who haven’t received refunds yet will need to file a claim by July 9.
If approved, refunds will come via check or PayPal, and those interested can get more information by checking the FTC’s website. In particular, players who disputed payment claims between January 2017 and September 2022, or parents whose children incurred charges without their knowledge from January 2018 to January 2018, are encouraged to reach out.
Epic Games was contacted for comment regarding the situation. Interestingly, back in December 2022, the company expressed its commitment to consumer protection and indicated that improvements were underway to align with the expectations of players and regulators alike.
