Fortnite Faces €100 Million Lawsuit Over Kids' Spending

Have you ever watched a kid drop real cash on V-Bucks without fully realizing it? A Dutch consumer group says that's exactly the problem—and they're taking Epic Games to court for it.

Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC) is suing Epic for €100 million, accusing the Fortnite maker of deliberately designing its in-game store to pressure young gamers into spending real money. The suit also claims Epic collected personal data from children without parental consent. SMC has served Epic a notice of liability with an offer to settle, and if negotiations fail, it's off to court.

The consumer group points to research studying 1,000 Dutch teenagers aged 16 to 19. According to SMC, the findings showed that six in 10 buyers of currencies like V-Bucks said it didn't feel like real money, and half said they regretted a purchase made under time pressure. That's a pretty damning stat if you're a parent.

This isn't Epic's first rodeo with these kinds of allegations. Back in 2022, the company agreed to pay $520 million to settle two FTC complaints in the US over children's privacy violations and so-called 'dark patterns' that tricked millions into unintentional purchases. Then in 2024, the Dutch Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) fined Epic $1.2 million for unfair commercial practices aimed at children. Just this January, a Rotterdam court upheld that fine.

SMC chair Lucia Melcherts didn't mince words: '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.' She added, '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, of course, sees things differently. In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, a spokesperson said Fortnite 'has protections and tools so parents can control how their child makes purchases and set limits for how long they can play.' They pointed out that the Item Shop doesn't have a timer, parents can require a PIN for real-money purchases, and players under 18 in the Netherlands can't see or buy items available for less than 48 hours. Under-16 players get a 'Cabined Account' that blocks real-money purchases until a parent or guardian consents. Epic also offers two-step confirmation, instant cancellations, self-service returns, and an explicit choice on saving payment info.

So who's right? A court will likely decide. But with regulators and consumer groups circling, this could be a landmark case for how games handle microtransactions aimed at younger players. What do you think—should Epic be held liable, or are their existing protections enough? Let us know in the comments.