Class-Action Lawsuit Claims Epic Games Knowingly Made Fortnite “Very, Very Addictive”

Epic Games is facing a class-action lawsuit from parents who claim that the team knowingly developed Fortnite to be highly addictive (thanks, TechRadar).

Concern over the game’s level of addiction have been a hot topic of conversation for a good few years now. The lawsuit was first opened up back in 2019, with lawyers claiming that Epic Games hired psychologists to assist in making the title as addictive as possible and provided players with no warnings of these effects. The case has been under review ever since and has now been deemed worthy of approval.

Claims of the game’s “very, very addictive” design come from two parents who have become increasingly concerned about the online shooter’s effect on their children – one of whom has reportedly racked up 7,700 hours in the game over the past two years.

This being the case, an Epic Games spokesperson, Natalie Munoz, has stated that the company “plans to fight this in court,” citing its efforts that have made to offer “industry-leading” parental controls and screen time reports in the past.

While the claims made against the studio blame the game’s design for the players’ lack of sleep and nutrition amongst other things, Munoz has stated that the “the case is meritless” and Epic apparently has the information to prove it.

The official starting date for the case is yet to be set, but we imagine that the studio will want to get the matter solved sooner rather than later.

What do you make of these claims? Let us know in the comments below!