Players and parents of players of the wildly popular Fortnite video game will soon receive payments under a settlement recently announced by the Federal Trade Commission. According to the FTC, an estimated 629,344 payments totaling more than $72 million will soon be made.

The payments are made to Fortnite players in connection with in-game purchases that may not have been authorized. The FTC accused Epic Games – the maker of Fortnite – of improperly charging players for unwanted purchases while allowing children to collect unauthorized fees without their parents’ permission. The FTC also accused the company of denying access to their purchased content to some users who denied unlawful allegations.

As part of the agreement, Epic Games will now require affirmative consent before charging users for content and will no longer be able to block players from their accounts if they dispute an unauthorized charge.

Payments will be sent to those who submitted a valid claim before October 8th. Those receiving a check are reminded that it must be cleared within 90 days, while those receiving a PayPal payment must accept it within 30 days of receipt.

If you didn’t apply before October 8th, you can still do so as the FTC is still reviewing applications and will send additional payments in the coming months. To be eligible for a settlement, one of the following conditions must apply:

• You were charged in-game currency for items you did not want between January 2017 and September 2022
• Your child made charges to your credit card between January 2017 and November 2018 without your knowledge
• Your account was suspended between January 2017 and September 2022 after you complained to your credit card company about unlawful charges

Claims can only be made by persons who are 18 years of age or older. Therefore, parents must file claims related to their children’s accounts. Claims can be submitted on the Fortnite Refund website until January 10, 2025. As part of the application, you will need a claim number emailed to the email associated with your Epic Games account or you will need your Epic Account ID.

When you apply, you can choose how you would like to receive payment if you are eligible. You can choose between check and PayPal as options.

The amount you will receive is still to be determined as several factors will determine the final payout, including the number of people who will be refunded.

“We expect to make additional payments in 2025 after reviewing and validating all claims,” the FTC wrote.

For more information or assistance in filing your claim, you may contact the Reimbursement Administrator at 1-833-915-0880 or via email.