FTC Authorizes $126 Million in Refunds for Fortnite Due to Manipulative Design Practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sanctioned $126 million in refunds to be disbursed to 969,173 Fortnite players, following a settlement concerning allegations against Epic Games for utilizing manipulative practices that led users to make unauthorized purchases.

In conjunction with this approval, the FTC has reopened its claims portal, allowing eligible Fortnite users to submit requests for refunds, which will undergo evaluation for a third distribution round.

This recent initiative represents the second phase of a settlement reached between the FTC and Epic Games in December 2022. As part of this agreement, Epic Games consented to pay a total of $520 million to resolve claims that it violated privacy laws concerning minors and employed deceptive patterns that induced millions of users to make inadvertent in-game purchases.

The tactics employed included:

• Presenting confusing prompts for purchases.
• Advertising misleading promotional offers.
• Enabling underage account holders to complete purchases without parental approval.
• Charging users unintentionally when the game resumed from sleep mode, during loading screens, or while users were merely previewing in-game items.

These transactions occurred automatically without the need for additional verification, and the procedures for disputing or reversing these charges were notably complicated, often dissuading users from pursuing refunds.

In several instances, affected individuals found themselves denied access to their accounts until the payments were reversed.

The initial refund distribution took place in December 2024, where $72 million was allocated to 629,344 eligible Fortnite players. During the second round, the average reimbursement amount increased to $130, compared to $114 in the first round.

As before, consumers who receive approval for their refund claims will have 90 days to cash their checks, or 30 days if opting for PayPal as the payment method.

Rust Consulting Inc. has been designated to oversee the refund process, providing a dedicated phone line and support email for inquiries.

Fortnite players who made purchases between January 2017 and September 2022 that fall under the umbrella of ‘dark patterns’ as identified by the FTC are encouraged to submit a claim via the portal until July 9, 2025.

Claimants must be at least 18 years old to submit the claim form; however, parents or guardians are permitted to submit on behalf of minors.

For additional information about FTC refund processes, visitors are encouraged to consult the available FAQ resources.