PARENTS in the US will be able to claim refunds for purchases made on Fortnite by their children who had not sought permission.
The US regulator claimed the game had tricked players into making unintended purchases.
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, agreed to pay $245m (£198m) in refunds in 2022.
Over 37 million people will now be contacted by the US Federal Trade Commission, alerting them of the compensation.
Read our live blog below for the latest news and updates…
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By Henry Moore
Where to play Fortnite
Despite the game being banned from app stores, the game can still be played on other consoles.
Fortnite is available online via the Epic Games website.
It is also available on Xbox Marketplace, PlayStation Store, and Nintendo Switch.
It is unclear when the game will come back to iPhones and Androids.
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By Louis Allwood
What changes have Fortnite made since the ruling?
Epic Games claimed it has made several changes to Fornite to tackle the problem of accidental purchases.
Multiple parental controls and a spending limit for players aged under 13 have been introduced.
Epic Games said: "The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and long-standing industry practices are no longer enough.
"We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players."
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By Louis Allwood
How to report issues on Fortnite
You can report a problem to Fortnite from their Contact Us form.
Be sure to include as much information as you can such as:
- What steps you've taken to try and troubleshoot the problem. They suggest this so they don't waste your time by suggesting the same ideas.
- A screenshot of the error is possible.
- Your Fortnite game logs files.
- Yout DxDiag file.
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By Louis Allwood
How much money does Fortnite make?
Fortnite really is a global phenomenon and brings in an incredible amount of cash.
It made £1.9 billion in 2018, more money than any game in history had managed over a 12-month period.
The total revenue for the game is estimated at around £3billion.
Its monthly revenue peaked in December 2017 at $372.2 million, with third-party analysis indicating it has declined 56 per cent since then.
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By Louis Allwood
Everything to know about Fortnite
Fortnite is an online video game played by up to 250million people across the world.
In it, 100 players compete on their own or with a small group of pals to grab weapons, gather resources and build defenses, before fighting it out to be the last man (or team) standing.
Matches take about 20 minutes, and you can drop into a new game within seconds of your previous one finishing.
It’s bright, it’s cartoony and it’s fiendishly compelling.
Skill is rewarded but luck also plays a huge role, meaning no two games are ever the same and everyone feels like they have a chance of winning.
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By Louis Allwood
V-Bucks, explained
V-Bucks is a form of virtual currency used in the game Fortnite, which can either be earned in the game, or paid for using real money.
Virtual currency isn’t just restricted to Fortnite, with other popular games such as FIFA using their own type of credit.
V-Bucks are used to buy in-game skins for characters, and other items.
Up to 13,500 V-Bucks can be purchased at once.
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By Louis Allwood
How to get a refund in Fortnite
Players that fall under one of these three categories that purchased items using V-Bucks, will be issued three Return Tickets.
These can be used at any time to get a refund in V-Bucks for up to three unwanted purchases.
To get your refund, follow these steps:
- Open the lobby and go to the settings menu
- There, click on “Support & Refunds” then “Return or cancel purchase”
- You will be shown a screen with every in-game purchase you’ve made in the last 30 days
- Select the item you want to return and select “Use Return Ticket”
- You will be shown exactly what items you are refunding; check them and select “Yes”
- You will be asked if you’re sure; select “Yes” again
- You will finally be taken to a success screen. Your items will be removed from your account, and your V-Bucks returned to your wallet.
How to claim the refund
Refunds will be made for in-game purchases such as outfits and loot boxes, as well as Fortnite's virtual currency V-Bucks.
Those who have been contacted by the Federal Trade Commission will have until January 2024 to submit their request.
Anyone in the US who believes they were charged in the game for items they didn't want between January 2017 and September 2022 can also claim.
Am I eligible for a Fortnite refund
You are entitled to compensation from Epic Games if you fall under any of the following three categories.
Players don’t have to meet all three; just one is enough to claim your refund.
Here are the three groups entitled to compensation:
- 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.
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By Louis Allwood
Fortnite 'broke the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act'
The FTC has ruled that the company has broken the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and “deployed design tricks, known as dark patterns, to dupe millions of players into making unintentional purchases.”
The report also claims: “Players could be charged while attempting to wake the game from sleep mode, while the game was in a loading screen, or by pressing an adjacent button while attempting simply to preview an item.”
Further, the report states that those who dispute the claims with their card holders were often locked out of their accounts which could include other in-game purchases.
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By Louis Allwood
Fortnite refunds
Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has been forced to refund parents for purchases made by children that did not have permission.
The commission alleges that Epic Games used unlawful practices to “trick” players into making online purchases.
Over 37 million people will now be contacted by the Federal Trade Commission, alerting them of the compensation.
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