FTC refunding $72 million to Fortnite players over ‘unwanted’ purchases
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun issuing refunds to Fortnite players who were affected by what it calls Epic Games’ “dark patterns,” which led players to make unwanted purchases.
The FTC will issue over $72 million to players who were affected, with players being notified in the coming weeks if they’re eligible for the refund. The average payment will be around $114.
The payments are being made to settle charges that the company “used dark patterns to trick players into making unwanted purchases” and let children rack up unauthorized charges without any parental involvement.
The complaint, which was raised in December 2022 as part of a settlement with Epic, alleged that the Fortnite developer “deployed a variety of design tricks known as dark patterns aimed at getting consumers of all ages to make unintended in-game purchases.”
Items are often released on the Fortnite store for a limited time, and once they leave the store, they can no longer be purchased, except in some cases when items are added back to the store for a limited time.
“Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button,” reads a new statement from the FTC.
“The company also made it easy for children to make purchases while playing Fortnite without requiring any parental consent. According to the FTC’s complaint, Epic also locked the accounts of customers who disputed unauthorized charges with their credit card companies.”
In the time since this complaint was raised, Epic has announced that it will bring back future Battle Passes, however not all previous Battle Passes will return due to licensing issues.
Lego Fortnite is introducing a new“social roleplay experience” called Brick Life later this week.
“As you explore this bustling city with up to 31 other players, you’ll find it’s full of interesting locales to explore and landmarks to admire,” Lego said.
“Visit the Cozy Paws Cafe at the Beach
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