Wyatte Grantham-Philips, AP Business Writer
Philadelphia (AP) – The US Federal Trade Commission is sending the latest refunds from Fortnite Maker’s Epic Games to consumers who say they’ve been “tricked” for purchases they don’t want.
In an announcement this week, the FTC said it was distributing more than 969,000 refunds to consumers on Wednesday and Thursday, totaling over $126 million. This follows the regulator’s first round payments of more than $72 million that came out in December 2024.
The refund is part of a $520 million settlement that EPIC agreed to repay in 2022. This is to address complaints revolving around children’s privacy and payment methods in popular Fortnite video games. At the time, the FTC claimed that the gaming giants used deceptive online design tactics to trick Fortnite players, including children, to make unintended purchases “based on a single button press.”
Consumers could be charged while doing something as easy as trying to try a game from sleep mode, for example, or by pressing a nearby button when trying to preview an item, the agency said. The FTC also accused some users who disputed the claims of blocking access to content they purchased.
The settlement concluded in 2023, exceeding $275 million related to the collection of personal information for players under the age of 13, included a customer refund of $245 million. Around $189 million of that was sent between the December payments and the refunds sent this week.
According to the FTC, the latest refunds rely on consumers who filed valid claims by February 14th.
The FTC also said it is restarting its billing process. Eligible consumers who have not yet been covered must file a claim until July 9th.
If accepted, the refund will be made in the form of a check or PayPal payment. To apply for and learn more about the settlement, users must visit the FTC website. Those eligible for these payments include Fortnite players who have complained with their credit card company about illegal claims between January 2017 and September 2022 and were charged in-game currency for items they didn’t want or have no account locked, and parents whose children charged with their credit card without knowledge from January 2018 to January 2018.
The Associated Press reached out to Epic Thursday for comment. As of the settlement was announced in December 2022, Epic said it had accepted the agreement because it was on the forefront of consumer protection and wanted to provide the best experience for players. The Carrie, North Carolina-based company added that it has already been rolling out changes to ensure that the ecosystem meets the expectations of players and regulators.
Original issue: June 26, 2025, 11:06am EDT
