adminA Dutch consumer group has brought a Fortnite lawsuit against Epic Games, alleging that the game’s shop design pressured young players to make purchases. Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC) is seeking more than €100 million in refunds and damages, along with compensation over children’s personal data collected without parental consent.
Image credit: Epic Games
What the Fortnite lawsuit alleges
SMC represents Dutch players who played Fortnite before turning 21. The group says the game’s purchasing experience encouraged young consumers to spend, and argues that players and their parents should not bear the cost of practices that regulators have found unfair.
Research cited by SMC surveyed more than 1,000 Dutch teenagers aged 16 to 19. Among respondents who bought in-game currency such as V-Bucks, six in ten said the currency did not feel like real money. Half said they had regretted a purchase made while under time pressure.
SMC has sent Epic a formal notice of liability and offered to negotiate a settlement. The group says it will take the matter to court if negotiations do not succeed. For families reviewing in-game spending, checking purchase settings and discussing the difference between virtual currency and real money can help make costs clearer.
Earlier Dutch penalties over Fortnite’s item shop
In 2024, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) fined Epic a total of €1,125,000 over what it described as unfair commercial practices in the Fortnite item shop. The regulator said some design choices took advantage of children’s vulnerabilities.
The fine consisted of two €562,500 penalties. One concerned prompts such as “get it now” and “buy now.” The other related to countdown timers that, according to the ACM, gave the impression that items would no longer be available when the timer ran out. A Rotterdam court upheld the fine in January 2026.
SMC chair Lucia Melcherts said the group is not seeking to have Fortnite banned. She argued that, after the regulator’s findings and the court’s decision, compensating affected players is an appropriate next step. SMC has also brought a separate collective case against Sony in 2025, claiming that at least 1.7 million PlayStation owners in the Netherlands paid too much for digital games.
Epic Games’ response and parental controls
Epic says it provides tools for parents to manage purchases and set limits on playtime. The company disputes aspects of the claims about the item shop and says Dutch players under 18 cannot view or buy shop items that have been available for less than 48 hours.
Epic also says that accounts created in the Netherlands by players under 16 are set up as Cabined Accounts. Those accounts cannot make real-money purchases unless a parent or guardian gives consent. The company lists additional safeguards, including purchase confirmation steps, instant cancellation, self-service returns for shop purchases, and a choice about saving payment details. Parents can review these settings to understand which controls apply to their child’s account.
What happens next in the Fortnite lawsuit?
The dispute may be resolved through settlement talks or proceed to court if the parties cannot agree. The amount sought by SMC is a claim, not a confirmed payment award. Dutch players and families following the Fortnite lawsuit should look for updates on the case’s progress and check official account settings before making or approving in-game purchases.
