The FTC refunds $72 million to players who fell victim to Epic Games’ sneaky tactics, as players will finally get some justice for those unwanted purchases! The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has kicked off the refund process for players impacted by what they call dark patterns used by Epic Games. If you’ve ever made a purchase you didn’t mean to while battling it out in Fortnite, this might be your lucky day.
Over $72 million will be distributed among affected players, and notifications will roll out in the coming weeks. Each player could see an average return of around $114 to their wallets.
So, what’s all this about? The FTC claims Epic used confusing design tricks, leading players, especially kids, to rack up unauthorized charges without parental consent. Yikes! Imagine letting your kid play and suddenly finding out they’ve spent more than you budgeted on V-Bucks! This complaint was initially raised in December 2022 as part of a settlement with Epic Games, which had been accused of tricking consumers into making unintended purchases.
The FTC’s statement highlights how Fortnite’s button configuration can confuse even seasoned gamers, leading them to accidentally spend money just by pressing one button. Who hasn’t clicked something and only regrets it two seconds later?
To make matters worse, if customers disputed unauthorized charges with their credit card companies, Epic would lock their accounts! That’s like adding insult to injury after an already frustrating experience. In light of these events, Epic has announced plans to bring back future Battle Passes, but not all previous ones due to licensing issues. It seems they are trying to make things right while also exploring through some tricky waters.
