Epic Games may have expertly initiated some successful lawsuits, but it has also faced allegations of its own. Back in 2022, the Fortnite maker agreed to settle a lawsuit over deceptive practices, resulting in a $245 million settlement. FTC managed the Fortnite refund by handing out the first round of payments to valid claimants, however, it still had funds left over to distribute.
A second round of the FTC-Fortnite refunds just went out on June 25 and 26, where approximately $126 million was further shared with those who filed a valid claim before February 14, 2025. The Fortnite settlement money averaged around $114 and should add up to a similar amount this time as well. If you think you are owed some of that settlement money, you’re in luck. The Fortnite refund deadline has been extended to July 9, 2025, so if you have a valid claim, you can still throw your name into the hat to get your application reviewed.
Everything You Need to Know About the FTC’s Fortnite Refund Filing
The Fortnite lawsuit was initially settled in 2022, after the FTC accused Fortnite-maker Epic Games of forcing players into transactions and having lax systems for payments when it came to children’s usage of the game. According to the FTC, Fortnite was unlawfully charging players for unwanted purchases and letting children rack up unauthorized charges without explicit permission from parents. The Federal Trade Commission also believed that Fortnite had wrongfully blocked some of its players from accessing purchased content merely because they disputed the wrongful charges.
It was believed that Fortnite made it deceptively easy to initiate a transaction by mistake, with actions as simple as trying to preview an item or wake a dormant screen leading to unintended results. When these payments were initiated by mistake and gamers disputed the transaction, they were blocked from accessing the content that they had inadvertently purchased.
Epic Games responded to the lawsuit by deciding to settle instead of fighting a prolonged battle in court. The company also agreed to add an additional check to ensure that it reconfirmed any transaction on its platform before it could proceed. This should have been set in place the second the transaction process was set up, but it appears maker Epic Games was hoping it would go unnoticed.
Fortnite Settlement Money Decided and Distributed
Apart from a heavy $275 million fine for collecting personal information of players below 13 years of age, the decision to settle led to a $245 million refund payout to customers in the US who were affected by these allegations against Fortnite. The FTC sent out the first round of Fortnite refunds in December 2024, where 629,344 individual payments were made, amounting to an average of $114.
The second round of Fortnite’s refund process was completed this week, with the FTC now having sent out $198 million to players who filed a valid claim before the February deadline. Now, approximately $47 million is still left in the settlement, so the FTC is accepting claim filings once more. The deadline for the Fortnite refund filings has been set on July 9, 2025, so affected parties can go to the FTC website to make a claim that will be reviewed by the organization.
Who Is Eligible to Get the Fortnite Refund from the Settlement?
If you want to file a claim with the FTC for a refund from the Fortnite-maker, you have to meet the eligibility criteria. You have to be at least 18 years old to apply or have a guardian to file the claim for you. Your claim will be seen as valid only if:
- You got charged for in-game currency for items you didn’t want at any time between January 2017 and September 2022
- You are a parent of a child who made charges to your credit card on Fortnite without your knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018
- Fortnite locked your account after you filed a claim with your credit card company over wrongful charges at any time between January 2017 and September 2022
How Do I File a Fortnite Refund Claim?
If you meet the eligibility criteria and are above 18 or have a guardian to file the claim for you, you can add your application. All you need to do is apply at www.fortniterefund.com/file-a-claim. You will need a claim number or an Epic Account ID to file the claim. If an email has not been sent to you with a claim number already, you can just use your account ID for the processing.
If you missed the previous deadline in February and still filed a claim after it had passed, the FTC doesn’t need to do anything else for now. The FTC states it is “still reviewing claims filed after that date and will provide more information soon.”
Depending on the payment type you select during the filing, your refund will be distributed accordingly. If you selected PayPal, accept the transaction within 30 days of receiving it. Alternatively, if you receive a check, ensure you cash it within 90 days.
The Fortnite refund deadline of July 9, 2025, is less than two weeks away. If you think you’ve been affected by Epic Games’ shenanigans as previously listed in the eligibility criteria, you should go file your claim right now.
Subscribe to Technowize for more insights into the world of tech and gaming.
No Comments