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FTC Reimbursing Fortnite Players For Unauthorized Charges

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday revealed that it will be giving out the funds to the players of the widely popular online game, Fortnite. This revelation came out after a settlement reached last year concerning claims that the game misled players because of which they ended up buying things they did not want. 

Players who were charged in-game currency for the items they didn’t intend to purchase between January 2017 to September 2022 are eligible and can apply for Fortnite refunds. In addition to this, Fortnite players whose accounts were locked during the same period after disputing wrongful charges at their credit card companies can also qualify for refunds. 

Furthermore, parents whose children made unauthorized charges to their credit cards between January 2017 to November 2018 also have the chance to submit a claim. The condition is that people submitting the claim must be at least 18 years old, although parents and guardians can file a claim on behalf of minors. 

Players willing to file a claim must do it before January 10, 2025, as after the particular date, they won’t be able to submit any claim. The FTC indicated that the amount of refunds will vary depending on different factors including the number of claims submitted and others, although specifications about the factors have not been disclosed. 

Once the initial round of refunds is processed, the video game developer will still be responsible for around $173 million as additional refunds. The developer of the game Fortnite, Epic Games in 2022 agreed to pay $520 million in penalties and refunds to resolve the allegations made on the company and game for misleading players into unwanted purchases. Regulators also pointed out that Epic Games made it too easy for the kids to make purchases without parental approval. It was also noted that the accounts of customers who challenged the charges were blocked.

Posted by

Suchita Gupta

Tech Journalist