Money from a $245 million settlement that Fortnite developer Epic Games agreed to pay is now going out to affected US consumers who were tricked into buying in-game goods. And there’s still time for you to claim a piece of the payout.
The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it’s sending out the “first round of payments,” after securing the settlement from Epic Games in December 2022.
“The average payment is about $114,” the US regulator said, although the median payment is $80. During this first round, the FTC is sending 629,344 payments totaling more than $72 million to affected consumers. Half of the money will be distributed through PayPal, the other half will be sent through checks in the mail.
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The commission kicked off the refund process in September 2023. The good news is that affected US consumers can still apply until January 10, 2025, via the FTC’s claim form.
“We expect to send additional payments in 2025 after we have reviewed and validated all claims,” the FTC says.
The settlement applies to Fortnite users who were charged V-Bucks, the in-game currency, for purchases they didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022. Parents of a Fortnite player can also apply if their child made charges to their credit card without their knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018.
A third group of consumers who were locked out of their Fortnite accounts between January 2017 and September 2022 after complaining about unwanted credit card charges are also eligible.
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The $245 million is meant to provide relief for up to 37 million people who were notified by the FTC via email. But it looks like only a small portion have filed for a claim. The commission’s website for the settlement currently shows that a large chunk of the funds remain unused.
(Credit: FTC)
An FTC site for the settlement notes: “If there is any money left in the settlement fund after the first distribution, the FTC may send a second round of payments.”
Back in December 2022, the Commission also secured a $275 million penalty fee from Epic Games over Fortnite violating a federal law focused on protecting the digital privacy of children. But that money was sent to the US Treasury.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
