A Dutch consumer group is suing Fortnite maker Epic Games for €100m, accusing the company of misleading young gamers into spending real money in the in-game store.
GamesIndustry.biz reports that Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC) seeks refunds and damages from Epic for intentionally designing the Fortnite store in such a way that puts pressure on young gamers to buy items using real-life money. The suit also alleges Epic collected personal data from children without parental consent. SMC reportedly served Epic a notice of liability with an offer to settle and will take the company to court if those negotiations fail.
In its filings, SMC cites research that studied 1,000 Dutch teenagers aged 16 to 19 and reportedly found that "six in 10 buyers of currencies such as V-Bucks said it didn't feel like real money, and half said they had regretted a purchase made under time pressure."
This is far from the first time Epic has been accused of misleading microtransactions and breaching children's privacy laws. In 2022, the company agreed to pay $520 million to settle two complaints filed by the United States Federal Trade Commission alleging children's privacy law violations and "dark patterns" that tricked "millions of players into making unintentional purchases."
In 2024, the Dutch Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) fined Epic $1.2 million for "unfair commercial practices aimed at children," and in January 2026, a Rotterdam court upheld the ACM's fine.
"We aren't asking for Fortnite to be banned. But a Dutch regulator found that Epic broke the rules, and a court has confirmed it. The logical next step is for Epic to pay players back," says SMC chair Lucia Melcherts.
"Epic deliberately designed the game to pressure players into buying. Young consumers are supposed to be protected from exactly that. The bill belongs with the company that made the game, not with the players or their parents."
Epic defended itself in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, saying Fortnite "has protections and tools so parents can control how their child makes purchases and set limits for how long they can play.
"The Fortnite Item Shop does not have a timer, parents can require a PIN to make real money purchases and players under 18 in the Netherlands cannot see or purchase items that are available in the Shop for less than 48 hours," says the Epic spokesperson.
"When a player under 16 in the Netherlands creates an account, it is a Cabined Account where they cannot make real-money purchases until a parent or guardian provides consent. We also offer protections against unwanted purchases, including a two-step confirmation to make a purchase, instant purchase cancellations, self-service returns for Shop purchases, and an explicit choice on whether to save payment information."
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