Epic Games’ Fortnite has officially started to give out refunds regarding the $245 million settlement the company reached back in December 2022 for violating the COPPA rule, and this is how to claim one.
For a bit of a recap, Epic Games reached a settlement with the FTC regarding “dark patterns” present in Fortnite. The then verdict said “Epic will pay $245 million to refund consumers for its dark patterns and billing practices, which is the FTC’s largest refund amount in a gaming case, and its largest administrative order in history,” which is without mentioning that Epic Games also allegedly locked the accounts of customers who disputed unauthorized charges with their credit card companies.
Fast forward to today when Epic Games has started to refund customers, and has officially opened their refund portal. Not only that, the Associated Press reports some parents have even begun to receive emails saying they may be eligible for a refund. The settlement outlines the criteria required with “Parents whose children made an unauthorized 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.”
How To Apply For A Fortnite Refund
If you fit this description, you can possibly receive a refund for lost funds at the hands of underage Fortnite players. Fans can swing over to the Fortnite refund page (literally fortniterefund.com) and enter their Epic Games ID. Interestingly, if you received the above-mentioned email, it may fast-track those looking for refunds so checking your Epic Games account email may be a solid first step.
The person applying for the refund must be 18 years or older and must have been afflicted with any of the issues mentioned in the settlement between 2017 and 2022, including account blocks from Epic Games regarding card disputes.
The deadline to file a claim is officially January 17, 2024 so those looking for a refund should get to it ASAP.
