A Vancouver parent has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the makers of Fortnite, saying the popular video game is designed to be B次元官网网址渁s addictive as possibleB次元官网网址� for children.
In the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, the plaintiff identified only as A.B. says her son downloaded Fortnite in 2018 and B次元官网网址渄eveloped an adverse dependence on the game.B次元官网网址�
The statement of claim says the game incorporates a number of intentional design choices such as offering rewards for completing challenges and making frequent updates, which encourages players to return repeatedly.
The statement says Fortnite creator Epic Games enriches itself by making content and customization options purchasable via an in-game currency, which are purchased with real cash.
The class-action lawsuit would still need approval from a judge and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
The plaintiff is seeking damages alleging the game breaches the B.C. Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, as well as for B次元官网网址渦njust enrichmentB次元官网网址� and medical expenses for psychological or physical injuries, among other claims.
B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址 games have been around for decades, but Fortnite is unique in that the science and psychology of addiction and cognitive development are at the core of the gameB次元官网网址檚 design,B次元官网网址� the court statement says.
It describes the game as B次元官网网址減redatory and exploitative,B次元官网网址� given its popularity among minors.
Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
In the statement, A.B. says her son began playing Fortnite: Battle Royale on a Sony PlayStation 4 game console when he was nine years old. The boy, she said, soon began buying various Fortnite products while adding the game to different platforms at home, including on mobile phone and computer.
Since that time, A.B. says Epic Games B次元官网网址渞eceived payment for numerous chargesB次元官网网址� made to her credit card without her authorization. The statement says A.B.B次元官网网址檚 son spent B次元官网网址渢housands of dollarsB次元官网网址� on in-game purchases.
B次元官网网址淚f Epic Games had warned A.B. that playing Fortnite could lead to psychological harm and financial expense, A.B. would not have allowed (her son) to download Fortnite,B次元官网网址� the statement says.
The lawsuit, if approved by the court, would cover three classes of plaintiffs: an B次元官网网址淎ddiction ClassB次元官网网址� of people who suffered after developing a dependence on Fortnite, a B次元官网网址淢inor Purchaser ClassB次元官网网址� that includes gamers who made purchases in the game while under the age of majority, and an B次元官网网址淎ccidental Purchaser ClassB次元官网网址� of users who mistakenly bought items due to the gameB次元官网网址檚 design.
The lawsuit would cover all persons affected by Fortnite in Canada except Quebec, where Epic lost its attempt last month to appeal a court decision there to authorize a similar class-action suit.
In the Quebec class-action appeal attempt, Epic lawyers argued the claims that children were becoming addicted to Fortnite were B次元官网网址渂ased purely on speculation,B次元官网网址� and no scientific consensus exists on cyberaddiction.
Epic Games also said in the Quebec case that it was not given a chance to argue against the claim that minors who bought FortniteB次元官网网址檚 in-game currency were taken advantage of.
Quebec Appeal Court Justice Guy Cournoyer said in his decision that Epic did not demonstrate any significant error on the lower court judgeB次元官网网址檚 decision to authorize the class-action lawsuit in that case.
Epic said in documents made public in a separate legal battle with Apple in the United States that Fortnite made more than US$9 billion combined in 2018 and 2019.
The legal claim in Quebec against the video game maker still needs to be argued in court.
B次元官网网址擟huck Chiang, The Canadian Press
