"Epic deliberately designed the game to pressure players into buying. Young consumers are supposed to be protected from exactly that," says group
The Dutch consumer group Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC) has filed a class action lawsuit against Epic Games, alleging it has misled young Fortnite players.
SMC is representing Dutch players who played Fortnite before age 21. It seeks over €100 million in refunds and damages, as well as compensation for collecting children's personal data without parental consent.
According to research cited by the foundation, among more than 1,000 Dutch teenagers aged 16 to 19, "six in 10 buyers of currencies such as V-Bucks said it didn't feel like real money, and half said they had regretted a purchase made under time pressure."
SMC has served Epic with a formal notice of liability and offered to negotiate a settlement. If negotiations fail, SMC will proceed to court.
In 2024, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) fined Epic €1,125,000, citing "unfair commercial practices" through design choices in its item shop which "exploited [the] vulnerabilities" of children.
Epic received a €562,500 fine for using phrases such as "get it now" and "buy now" in its item shop, and an additional €562,500 for using countdown timers that falsely suggested items would become unavailable after the timer expired.
"We aren't asking for Fortnite to be banned. But a Dutch regulator found that Epic broke the rules, and a court has confirmed it. The logical next step is for Epic to pay players back,” said Lucia Melcherts, chair of SMC.
Source link
