Epic Games Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Fortnite’s In-Game Store Practices

Parents have filed a class-action lawsuit against Epic Games, alleging that Fortnite’s Item Shop manipulates players with deceptive sales tactics that create “the illusion of scarcity” and exploit fear of missing out (FOMO). The lawsuit, filed in a San Francisco court and first reported by Polygon, claims that Epic Games misleads players—especially minors—by falsely advertising time-limited sales.

The complaint states that certain items, such as the Renegade Raider outfit, were sold briefly and never returned, while others were advertised with countdown timers only to remain available at the same “discounted” price long after the timer expired.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs argue that Epic Games’ sales model violates consumer protection laws by using false urgency to pressure players into purchases. The complaint claims that “fake sales with made-up expiration times” are illegal under statutes regulating unfair and deceptive trade practices, comparing the case to previous lawsuits over misleading digital sales tactics.

Epic Games denied the allegations, stating that the lawsuit contains factual errors and misrepresents how Fortnite operates. The company noted that it removed countdown timers from the Item Shop last year and implemented several safeguards to prevent accidental purchases, including: hold-to-purchase mechanics, instant purchase cancellations, self-service refunds, and parental controls for accounts under 13.

This lawsuit comes as Epic is already fighting a similar legal battle in the Netherlands, where the Dutch consumer regulator fined the company €1.1 million (£968k) for “unfair commercial practices aimed at children.” That case is still under appeal.