FTC Sends $126M In Epic Refunds And Reopens Fortnite Claims With A New Deadline
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it's already doled out more than $126 million in refunds to Fortnite players who were charged for unwanted purchases, an amount that represents roughly half of the agreed upon $245 million settlement with Epic Games. In addition, the FTC is reopening the claims the process, with eligible participants now having until July 9, 2025 to submit a claim.
This has been a nearly three-year saga that is finally nearing the finish line. The FTC reached a $245 million settlement agreement with Epic Games back in December 2022, which at the time was the largest refund amount ever in the video game sector. The FTC accused Epic Games of using deceptive practices to trick players into making unwanted purchases.
According to the FTC, Epic Games ran afoul of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). At the time, the FTC alleged that Fortnite's "counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration" caused players of all ages to incur unwanted charges. One example it gave was the possibility that a gamer could be charged when attempting to take the game from sleep mode.
"In December 2024, the FTC issued the first round of refunds, 629,344 payments totaling more than $72 million. As part of this latest round of refunds, the FTC will send 969,173 checks and PayPal payments on June 25 and June 26 to consumers who filed a valid claim.
Today’s announcement brings the total amount of refunds the FTC has issued to consumers related to Epic’s deceptive billing practices to nearly $200 million," the FTC states in a new notice outlining the extended time frame to file a claim.
Players who might qualify for a refund include...
- Parents whose children made an unauthorized credit card purchase in the Epic Game Store between January 2017 and November 2018.
- Fortnite players who were charged in-game currency, known as V-Bucks, for unwanted in-game items between January 2017 and September 2022.
- Fortnite players whose accounts were locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after disputing unauthorized charges with their credit card companies.
If you think you are eligible for a refund and have not already filed a claim, you can do so now by visiting the FTC's Fortnite Refunds website and clicking on the Apply for a Refund button.
What if you filed a claim after February 14, 2025 but have not yet received a refund? The FTC says no further action is needed, and that it is still in the process of reviewing claims filed after that date. That said, you can contact the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, Inc, by phone (1-833-915-0880) or email (admin@fortniterefund.com) if you have questions about your payment.
