There's still time for Fortnite players to request a refund for unwanted items

Fortnite players in the US who believe they were charged for unwanted purchases during gameplay can request a refund via the Federal Trade Commission through the end of February. The claims process, which was previously set to end in January of this year, was initiated in September of 2023 after the regulatory agency finalized a settlement against Epic Games. About $245 million were earmarked for refunds alone.

The FTC said it notified about 37 million eligible Fortnite users impacted by the company’s practices when the claims initially opened. The agency said it will continue emailing potential refund recipients until the new deadline ends on February 29.

The online claim form is available on the official FTC website, where you will need to share your Epic account ID and disclose whether or not you received an email from the regulator. To qualify for a refund, you must have been charged in-game currency for products in the Fortnite game you didn't intend to purchase between January 2017 and September 2022. This also applies to children who were subject to charges using their parent's accounts without adult supervision between January 2017 and November 2018.

Importantly, the FTC highlights the fact that some charged users had their accounts locked after seeking support through Epic Games or after attempting reconciliation of charges with their credit card companies. This new extension comes as another blow to Epic Games, which was accused of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule in a separate ruling.

The company has changed its policy on saving payment information as a result of the FTC claims case and will now offer a more direct way to offer yes or no options to save payment-related user information. In a statement, the company notably remarked, “No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here.”