Epic Games settles Fortnite lawsuit with V-Bucks – and you may be entitled to it
Epic Games will compensate Fortnite: Save the World players who bought random item loot boxes when they were available with 1,000 V-Bucks as a way to settle a class action lawsuit against the company.
The lawsuit is coming out allegations that Epic Games had violated state consumer protection laws and misrepresented the value of items available in both Fortnite and Rocket League.
V-Bucks are Fortnite’s in-game currency used to purchase a variety of items such as character skins, emotes and other cosmetic goodies, including the aforementioned loot boxes. These random item boxes were called “V-Buck Llamas” and were replaced in 2019 by X-Ray Llamas, allowing players to see what might be in the box before they were purchased.
The settlements also apply to Rocket League players who purchased loot boxes prior to being phased out in 2019. In this case, Rocket League players will receive 1,000 Credits as compensation.
How do I claim my V-Bucks?
If you played Fortnite: Save the World or Rocket League during the time that their respective loot box items were available, and you bought a few yourself, you may be eligible for V-Bucks or Credits from Epic.
In a statement released to the official Fortnite Twitter account, Epic said players don’t need to take any action to claim these free V-Bucks. If eligible, players will automatically see the currencies dropped into their accounts for the next few days (starting February 22). So keep an eye on your account.
Let them eat cake
While the settlement with Fortnite: Save the World players should be limited to the US, Epic has said it will roll out the V-Bucks to Fortnite: Save the World accounts worldwide. 1,000 V-Bucks is an amount equal to approximately $ 10, and the handout does not depend on how much a player would have spent on Save the World loot boxes.
The decision was made to help settle a lawsuit against Epic’s loot box practices. Approved by the Superior Court of North Carolina, the lawsuit pressured Epic Games to reimburse players who bought V-Buck Llamas before the company switched to the more transparent X-Ray alternatives.
If you’re not in the know, a loot box of random items is as natural as it sounds. Usually players can pay for real money for one or a bundle of loot boxes. The items in it are random until opened, which means players won’t know what they’re getting until the box is redeemed. Rare items are usually much harder to find, often tantalizing repeat purchases until the desired loot is obtained.
The random item loot box concept has been heavily criticized in games like FIFA, Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront 2, and more. Loot box regulations have been an ongoing debate for years, and the items themselves have been associated with enabling minors to develop gambling addictions.
Laws regarding the inclusion of loot boxes in games vary around the world. They are banned in countries such as Belgium and The NetherlandsLawmakers in the UK have also called for strong regulation of the practice.
More than anything else, the V-Bucks and Credits handouts seem to be Epic’s damage control. It was a way for them to settle the class action lawsuit without losing substantial resources themselves.