Epic Games is set to pay refunds totaling over $126 million to nearly a million Fortnite players who made unwanted in-game purchases. This information comes from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
This new phase of payments involves over $126 million being distributed to more than 969,000 players. These players were identified as having been subjected to “dark patterns” – deceptive design tactics intended to pressure users into making unintended in-game purchases. The FTC is also continuing to accept claims from affected players who are eligible for compensation.
The FTC`s action against Epic Games dates back to a settlement reached in late 2022. At that time, Epic was found to have violated the Children`s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and employed deceptive practices to induce unwanted purchases. The settlement included a $275 million payment for COPPA violations and a requirement to pay $245 million in refunds to affected players. Previous payments included $72 million distributed in early 2023. While a future distribution of $126 million was mentioned in the original context, the current news confirms this specific amount ($126 million) is now being distributed to address past claims. The total timeline for Epic Games completing all required payments remains unspecified.
Finley Holt