Many years ago in middle school (yes, Fortnite is that old, and I am that young), not only did I accidentally purchase a skin or two on Fortnite, but so did many of my friends. Accidentally purchasing an item in the Fortnite Item Shop was so easy that a mere finger slip when inspecting a cosmetic would immediately add it to your inventory.

The ease of purchase, the obfuscated conversion rate of in-game currency, and the cash shop directly linked to credit cards led to thousands of kids racking up payments on their parents’ bank accounts. Most likely followed, of course, by a litany of groundings and angry phone calls to customer service.

While accidental purchases were a minor inconvenience for some families, they were likely financially devastating for many others, and the Federal Trade Commission isn’t taking it lightly either.

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Almost two years ago, the FTC started collecting customer refund information after Epic Games settled the allegations with a $500 million payout, $245 million of which is going right back to consumers.

The latest news is that the Federal Trade Commission is finally sending the first wave of refunded money. 72 million dollars have just gone back to those impacted by Epic Games, and you can expect a few more waves to come in the future.

Fortnite’s History Of Microtransactions

Whether you believe they are predatory or not, Fortnite has long been the king of microtransactions. Being one of the first pioneers of the now commonplace season-based battle pass system, combined with a strong young player base, Fortnite has since earned billions through its cash shop.

The biggest issue, especially with having such a young player base, is how few restrictions there often are on purchases. As previously mentioned, I was technically one of those impacted by this scandal, along with many friends and a huge part of the player base.

Epic Games has since made a clear statement by attempting to add transaction-focused protections. I remember, for instance, when Fortnite initially decided to add return tickets, which you could redeem for free instant refunds for items you purchased in the last 30 days, purposefully or accidentally.

More recently, they have added much-needed child-safe accounts. These accounts restrict Fortnite and everything else within the Epic Games launcher, and parents can control the restrictions placed on their child.

The FTC is basically making an example out of Epic Games. With so many governments cracking down on microtransactions, loot boxes, and in-game gambling, this is a massive win for those hoping to see more government restrictions put on video games for their sometimes addictive and predatory nature.

The FTC’s Case Against Epic Games

It should be noted that while this current refund is aimed at unwanted purchases, the entire settlement includes other accusations. For instance, an earlier press release by the FTC alleged that Epic Games had “violated the COPPA Rule by collecting personal information from children under 13.”

The FTC has also alleged Fortnite of creating a generally destructive environment for today’s adolescents. A big point of note was unrestricted access to text and voice chat, something standard with most other multiplayer-focused experiences these days.

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It should be mentioned that major child-safe features regarding chat functionality have been added to other child-friendly gaming ecosystems such as Roblox. Even if it’s standard to have public voice and text chat in games, it’s not unimaginable for a game to add protections, primarily if it’s marketed directly to kids.

In the same press release, the FTC had an interesting way of mentioning the ease of purchases within Fortnite. The release states:

The “dark patterns” they are alluding to were mentioned earlier in this article: Fortnite allows players to instantly buy an item when inspecting it in the shop. This can happen when simply pressing the wrong button or waking the console up from sleep mode (something I’ve seen happen).

So, Fortnite and Epic Games are finally paying out to the customers impacted by these microtransactions. The first 72 million dollars of the 245 million are just now being handed out to those who filed requests with the Federal Trade Commission.

Although we have gotten used to shady microtransaction implementations as gamers, it is essential to remember that the rest of the world and the bodies that govern us may not see them as simple hindrances but as illegal actions that need immediate attention.

Released

July 25, 2017

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

ESRB

T for Teen – Violence

X|S Optimized

YES

Metascore

78

Platforms That Support Crossplay

Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

Split Screen Orientation

Horizontal Only

Number of Players

1-2

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Steam Deck Compatibility

N/A

Local Co-Op Support

1-2 Players

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Cross Save

yes

Cross-Platform Play

Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

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