Epic Games was hit with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) biggest penalty ever for a rule break this week. The developer was ordered to pay $520 million for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act as well as for tricking millions of players into making unintended in-game purchases using a technique called "Dark patterns."
Of the $520 million fine, $245 million will be set aside for customer refunds.
The FTC said that the game's “counterintuitive, inconsistent and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button,” including while players thought the game was in sleep mode or in a loading screen.
The settlement requires Epic to change its default privacy settings and to provide refunds to players who were charged for items they didn't intend to buy.
Fortnite is a popular online video game developed and published by Epic Games. It was first released in 2017 and has since become one of the most popular and successful games in the world. The game is available on a variety of platforms, including PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.
Fortnite is a battle royale game, in which players compete against each other in last-man-standing gameplay. In each match, 100 players are dropped onto an island and must scavenge for weapons and resources while fighting to survive. The last player or team standing wins the match. Fortnite is known for its fast-paced gameplay, varied weapons and items, and destructible environments.
In addition to the battle royale mode, Fortnite also features a variety of other game modes, such as creative mode, where players can build and design their own worlds, and save the world mode, which is a cooperative gameplay mode in which players team up to defend against waves of enemies.
Fortnite has a large and active player base and has also become a cultural phenomenon, with professional tournaments and events, and a wide range of merchandise and other products.
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