The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has now finalised Epic Games' record-breaking settlement sum relating to unwanted charges, which will be used to provide refunds to affected players and parents in the US.
The FTC announced back in December that the creators of Fortnite have agreed to pay a sum of $520 million in monetary penalties, following allegations that the video game publisher violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and tricked players into making unintended purchases.
The federal agency has now finalised the penalty sum of $245 million, confirming via a statement that this money will be used to refund Fortnite players and parents based in the US, who made unintended purchases or had their accounts locked for disputing unauthorized charges.
"Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button," said the FTC via a statement on their website.
"The company also made it easy for children to make purchases while playing Fortnite without requiring any parental consent."
If you feel that you've been impacted by any of the issues above, we've rounded up all details so that you can check if you're eligible for a refund and the latest claim information.
FTC Fortnite refund: are you eligible?
The FTC has provided detailed information about which parents and Fortnite players could be eligible for a refund on its dedicated page for FTC Fortnite refunds. The FTC plans to make refunds available to:
- Parents whose children made an unauthorised credit card purchase in the Epic Games Store between January 2017 and November 2018
- Fortnite players who were charged in-game currency (V-Bucks) for unwanted in-game items (such as cosmetics, llamas, or battle passes) between January 2017 and September 2022
- Fortnite players whose accounts were locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after disputing unauthorised charges with their credit card companies.
It's also important to note that the settlement money will only be able to provide refunds to eligible players and parents who are based in the US. So if you're based in the UK, or anywhere apart from the US for that matter, you will not be eligible to receive a refund as part of this process.
FTC Fortnite refund: how to claim
The FTC has confirmed that it will post regular updates about refund the process on its website, and will also send email notices direct to customers who paid for in-game purchases with further instructions once the details have been hashed out.
Fortnite players and parents in the US who believe they are eligible for a refund don't need to do anything, right now at least. But, it's possible that eligible players or parents may be able to complete certain steps in the future via this page, so make sure to bookmark it and keep checking for updates.
Customers who believe they are eligible for a refund are being asked to sign up for regular email updates, as this way you'll get the latest information. Be aware that the FTC will not be asking for any payment to make a claim as part of this process, so beware of scammers who will promise you a refund in exchange for money.
