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Am I eligible for the Fortnite refund? Here’s everything Epic Games customers should know

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Am I eligible for the Fortnite refund? Here’s everything Epic Games customers should know

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Tennessee Fortnite gamers could soon see a bit of extra money thanks to a Federal Trade Commission refund.

The FTC announced Monday that it will send the first of a total of $72 million in refunds to customers of Epic Games, the makers of the hugely popular Fortnite game, who were reportedly duped into making purchases in the game. The refunds follow a 2022 settlement in which Epic Games agreed to pay Fortnite players who fell victim to its “unlawful billing practices,” according to the FTC.

Here’s a look at how much Epic Games is expected to refund, how players get their refund and more.

How much does Epic Games have to refund to Fortnite players?

Epic Games agreed to pay $245 million in refunds to Fortnite players.

What is Epic Games accused of doing?

While Fortnite is free to play, there are plenty of things that are charged for in-game.

Players are able to purchase in-game items and experiences – known among gamers as microtransactions – such as costumes and dance moves. While not an uncommon feature in the gaming world, Epic Games reportedly used “dark patterns” that concealed in-game purchases, allowing children to rack up unauthorized charges without parental consent, according to the FTC. The “dark patterns” is a design tactic that can be used to trick players into doing things they might not normally do, like buying in-game items and such.

The offenses outlined in the complaint occurred between 2017 to 2022, and according to the FTC, the tactic made it so that a single accidental press of a button would cause players to incur charges that they hadn’t agreed to. Some reportedly happened when players tried to wake the game from sleep mode or just tried to view an item that was available for purchase.

And if a player tried to dispute the charges, Epic Games reportedly would close off access to the account, causing them to lose access to all the content they purchased.

When was the Epic Games settlement reached?

The FTC and Epic Games reached a settlement in December 2022. It is also the largest refund the FTC has secured in the video gaming industry.

Am I eligible for an Epic Games, Fortnite refund?

Around 630,000 Fortnite players are part of the first phase of the refunding and are expected to receive and average payment of around $114. People who were affected by the FTC claim would have received a form to fill out and selected a form of payment once a settlement was achieved.

For those who filled out the claim form, they will have 30 days to redeem PayPal payments and 90 days to cash checks, the FTC said.

Think you are eligible, but haven’t filled out a claim form? Don’t worry you still have time.

People can file a claim until Jan. 10, 2025, and you can submit a claim online here.

When will the rest of the Fortnite refunds be distributed?

The FTC has not set a timeline for when the rest of the funds will be distributed but will distribute additional refunds at a later date, according to a news release from the agency.

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

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