FTC Distributes $126 Million in Refunds to Fortnite Players

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated the latest round of refunds to consumers who were allegedly tricked into making unwanted purchases from Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite. This action is part of a broader settlement that Epic Games agreed to in 2022, which totals $520 million. The settlement aims to address complaints related to children's privacy and deceptive payment methods used in the popular video game Fortnite.

The FTC announced that it will distribute over $126 million in refunds to more than 969,000 consumers. This follows an earlier round of payments totaling over $72 million, which were sent out in December 2024. The refunds are part of a $520 million settlement that Epic Games agreed to pay in 2022. The FTC had alleged that Epic Games used deceptive online design tactics to trick Fortnite players, including children, into making unintended purchases with a single button press. Consumers could be charged for actions as simple as attempting to wake the game from sleep mode or by pressing a nearby button when trying to preview an item. The FTC also accused Epic of blocking some users who disputed the charges from accessing the content they purchased.

Beyond a $275 million fine related to collecting personal information for players under the age of 13, the settlement, which was finalized in 2023, included $245 million in customer refunds. Between December’s payments and the refunds sent out this week, about $198 million of that has been sent out — leaving roughly $47 million left to be distributed. The latest refunds are being distributed to consumers who filed a valid claim before Feb. 14, meaning that any claims filed after that date are still under review. The FTC has also reopened the claims process, allowing eligible consumers who have not been compensated yet to file a claim until July 9. If accepted, the refunds come in the form of checks or PayPal payments. To apply and learn more about the settlement, users should visit the FTC’s website. People who are eligible for these payouts include Fortnite players who were charged in-game currency for items they didn’t want or saw their account locked after complaining to a credit card company about wrongful charges between January 2017 and September 2022 — as well as parents whose kids made charges on their credit cards without their knowledge from January 2018 through November 2018.

Epic Games has stated that it accepted the agreement because it wanted “to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players.” The company added that it was already rolling out changes “to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a helpful guide for others in our industry.”