How to get money from Fortnite’s $20B settlement

Parents whose kids bought gear on Fortnite without asking for permission could be getting some money back.

U.S. regulators are starting to send email notices to 37 million people about compensation for those unauthorized purchases. Epic Games, who is the maker of Fortnite, has agreed to issue $245 million in customer refunds to settle a lawsuit last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. 

Consumers have until Jan. 17 to submit a claim.

Those eligible for refunds include people who were charged for in-game currency that they didn't want between January 2017 and September 2022. 

Epic Games had also agreed to pay a $275 million fine for allegedly collecting personal information on Fortnite players under the age of 13 without informing their parents or getting their consent. It was the biggest penalty ever imposed for breaking an FTC rule.

According to the FTC, those eligible for refunds include Fortnite users charged in-game currency for items they didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022; those whose child made charges to their credit card without their knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018; and those whose account was locked after they complained to their credit card company about wrongful charges.

Epic Games said after settling the case in December that it implemented additional safeguards to prevent unintended purchases. In an updated statement Tuesday, it referred people to the FTC’s page.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.