Why Are Fortnite Players Getting Refunds, and Do You Qualify?

Eligible Fortnite players are currently receiving refunds through the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This follows the December Fortnite payouts, which included $72 million to affected players. If a player filed a valid claim before February 14, their claim is currently being processed.

The refunds are part of a lawsuit between the battle royale’s developer, Epic Games, and the FTC, in which it was alleged that Fortnite had been participating in deceptive practices. Now, as the FTC manages the second wave of payouts, which total $126 million in refunds for 969,173 players, some may wonder if they qualify for the final round.

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Fortnite’s FTC Lawsuit Explained

pc gamers spending more on microtransactions than games

Epic Games 2022 Settlement and Distribution

The 2022 settlement between Epic Games and the FTC agreed that $245 million would be distributed back to players who were victims of unwanted purchases. This was due to the ease with which Fortnite allowed players to purchase cosmetics, as simply previewing an item or trying to wake the game out of sleep mode could lead to an unintended purchase. It was also highlighted that children were able to rack up purchases without the need for parental approval.

The FTC alleged that these were purposefully deceptive tricks, “based on the press of a single button” and “confusing button configuration.” When Fortnite players sought refunds for these incidents, the FTC claims some users were blocked from accessing the content and could not dispute the purchase. As such, in addition to the $275 million fine for collecting personal information from players under the age of 13, Epic Games was ordered to issue refunds to customers.

Do You Qualify For A Refund From Epic Games?

The next round of refunds will be distributed via PayPal and check, and the final submission date has been pushed back as the FTC reopens its claims process. The Fortnite refund process should take approximately two minutes to complete and requires players to either have an email from the FTC with a claim number or their Epic Games ID, which consists of 32 characters.

However, to see if they qualify, players should take note of the following prerequisites:

Must live in the United States.
Must be at least 18 years old to complete the form, or a parent or legal guardian can complete it on their behalf.

Furthermore, if any of the below statements are true, players may also be entitled to a refund:

The player was charged in-game currency for items they didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022.
A child made charges on a credit card without their parent or guardian’s knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018.
The player’s account was locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after a complaint was made to a credit card company about wrongful charges.

Additionally, players should be aware that they must file by Wednesday, July 9. Filing an FTC claim for Fortnite will not affect their account, and no items will be removed from their inventory for doing so. The total payment amount is expected to vary depending on the number of people who file. For reference, the average refund from the first round of payments was around $114 per person.

Payments should roll out in 2026. PayPal payments must be accepted within 30 days, and checks should be cashed within 90 days. Notably, Epic Games commented on the lawsuit in 2022, acknowledging the settlement and stating that it wanted “to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for [its] players.”