Epic Games, the developer of the popular video game Fortnite, faces a class-action lawsuit from parents claiming their children have become hooked to the game.
At least one minor in the case played more than 7,700 hours in less than two years.
There are over 80 million players of the first-person shooter game in the globe, and the developers believe their players are "severely dependent" on it, as reported by Deadline.
Epic Games vs. Lawsuit
In BBC's report, a Canadian court granted a class-action lawsuit by three parents whose children were addicted to playing Fortnite.
According to the plaintiffs, their kids were so immersed in the game that they stopped taking care of themselves. They would skip meals and not take a shower.
Documents submitted to the court mentioned the 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) recognition of video game addiction.
Both Epic Games and its Canadian affiliate are named as defendants in the complaint.
To help parents keep tabs on their kids' online activity, Epic Games said it has what it calls "industry-leading parental controls."
The firm claims that parents will be able to get playtime reports that monitor the length of time their kid plays each week and that they would be required to provide their consent before their child makes any purchases.
"We plan to fight this in court. We believe the evidence will show that this case is meritless," said Epic Games.
Related Story: Epic Games Introduces Restricted Account for Kids in Fortnite, Rocket League, Fall Guys
Fortnite Addiction
The in-game currency is called "V Bucks," and although playing Fortnite is free of charge, users must pay for more V Bucks to make purchases within the game. According to reports, the game has earned over $9 billion over the globe.
At least one of the minors named in the case logged more than 7,700 hours of gameplay time in a little less than two years.
The court case says the game was purposefully intended to be "highly addictive."
A judge in Quebec, Sylvain Lussier, said the complaint was not baseless.
He determined that anybody living in Quebec who has exhibited addiction symptoms after playing the Battle Royale version of Fortnite since 2017 may join the lawsuit.
Legal Odds
According to Sportskeeda, there is no proof that Epic Games coerced the children to play the game, despite the parents' strong feelings to the contrary.
Whether or not the kids were playing with the intention of leveling up and completing the Battle Pass is entirely up to them.
Battle Pass is a monetization strategy that rewards players with in-game items for completing tasks or simply purchasing the service.
The company stated that even after five years, neither the Battle Pass nor CREW monthly subscription is required to play Fortnite. Parents must ensure their children do not overdo playing.
Sportskeeda believes Epic Games will win that case, given the circumstances and reasoning.
Legally, developers can not be liable for someone being addicted to their product, in this case, Epic Games' Fortnite.
