Epic has provided in-game currency to affected players thanks to a class-action lawsuit related to the purchase of loot boxes in Fortnite and Rocket League.
Yes, Epic really seems to be the black sheep among game developers at the moment. Now that the legal battle between Epic and Apple has dragged on for months, Epic is facing yet another lawsuit. They are accused of...:
violating state consumer protection laws, preventing minors from exercising their contractual rescission rights, and negligently misrepresenting the value of its in-game items in connection with its Fortnite and Rocket League video games.
We've got all the details for you.
Loot boxes are a "game of chance" according to the plaintiffs
Specifically, the lawsuit is about – you guessed it – Loot Boxes, where players did not know what was inside when they purchased them. Such loot boxes are comparable to gambling, according to the plaintiffs. In Belgium, for example, they have been officially considered illegal gambling since 2018. Epic had already removed this type of content from Fortnite Save the World and Rocket League after a lawsuit in 2019. Recently, Epic Games has only been offering the so-called X-ray lamas in Fortnite, where the content is known beforehand.
How is Epic Games responding to the indictment?
For its part, Epic denies each and every allegation of wrongdoing, liability, and damages asserted in the lawsuit. Furthermore, they deny that the claims in the lawsuit would qualify for class action treatment if the lawsuit went to trial.
Nonetheless, the company and the plaintiffs have now reached a settlement, which must still be approved by the courts, to "avoid the costs and uncertainties associated with litigation."
The statement adds:
This settlement resolves all claims asserted in the case against Epic Games and its affiliates [and] is not an admission of wrongdoing by Epic Games and does not imply that there has been or would be a finding that Epic Games violated any law.
The compensation
Even though Epic doesn't really want to admit its mistake (again), it does have a benefit for the players. As part of the settlement, Epic will award 1,000 V-Bucks to all players who purchased a random llama in Fortnite. There's also something in it for players in Rocket League. There were boxes that contained random items and anyone who bought an event crate or a key to open such a crate in Rocket League will also be credited with 1,000 credits.
Most should have already received the in-game currency. However, Epic says that the automatic compensation with in-game currency will be applied to all affected Fortnite and Rocket League accounts worldwide within the next few days at the latest. Even though the focus of the lawsuit is in the United States.
In addition, the settlement offers up to $26.5 million in cash and other benefits to U.S.-based Fortnite and Rocket League players who believe their real-money in-game purchases give rise to a "claim for consumer fraud, breach of contract, or other damages."
Successful claimants can receive up to $50 USD, 13500 V-Bucks, or 13000 Rocket League Credits. Full details on how to submit a claim can be found on the dedicated website.
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Original article by EarlyGame's Alisa Eiber.
