Canadian justice will soon consider a class action lawsuit accusing the developer of the Fortnite video game, Epic Games, of creating addiction among its followers in Canada.
Three parents criticize Fortnite for causing an addiction similar to what “heroin or cocaine can create”, citing “physical and psychological” symptoms such as “migraines”, “back pain” and “significant social discomfort”.
According to the sentence, handed down this Wednesday and which authorizes this appeal, of the three mentioned minors, one would have been diagnosed with cyber addiction while another, who was 13 years old at the time, would have played 7,781 games in two years, “at least three hours a day “. day”, sometimes until the middle of the night.
“Excessive Spending”
The plaintiffs also allege that the survival shooter would “encourage excessive spending.” Although it is free to download, users can purchase V-Bucks, a virtual currency, to obtain in-game accessories such as outfits or dances.
One of the children cited in the collective action would have spent more than 6,000 Canadian dollars (4,100 euros) and “would have gone so far as to say that he was the victim of fraud,” said Jean-Philippe Caron, one of the two lawyers who filed the motion.
The three parents and their lawyers request “moral and material damages as well as the restitution of benefits”, in particular the reimbursement of all purchases made by underage players.
For their part, the representatives of Epic Games argue that the evidence is “insufficient”, citing the absence of an “expert report”, of a “medical file that makes a diagnosis of ‘addiction'” and of a study on “adverse effects of a video “. play”.
In the coming months, the video game designer will have to defend himself in Quebec courts for having developed and marketed a “dangerous and harmful” product, for not having disclosed the risks and for having harmed minors with his personalized currency system.
In April, Epic Games had already reached a $26.5 million settlement in North Carolina related to purchases of its virtual currency by minors.
Source: BFM TV
