8 ms·

I'm on Epic's side on this one. Having things for sale in a game is different from "manipulating children" into buying things in a game.

andy_ppp 8mo ago
It’s likely the judgement is more complex that that…
tosti 8mo ago
They created artificial scarcity and used time pressure to persuade children into spending their parents money. The fine can't be big enough imho. This is an evil dark-patterned business practise.
- jsheard 8mo ago
  Speaking of evil dark-patterned business practices, Epic just recently U-turned on lootboxes again. Fortnite did have them originally, but pivoted to the less egregious FOMO sales funnel around when it got really popular, except now they've backtracked by allowing pay-to-win and lootbox mechanics in user-created game modes. https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party-microtransactions-steal-the-brainrots-developer-is-slammed-by-fans-for-immediately-adding-45-premium-bundles-and-gambling-style-mechanics https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party... Fortnite's user-created modes are essentially an attempt to compete with Roblox, and like Roblox their age demographics skew very young, so this reads as a deliberate attempt to exploit children specifically.
- koolala 8mo ago
  Why can't Valve and others get fined for worse designs? Because Teens play Counter-strike and not children?
- Capricorn2481 8mo ago
  Maybe it has changed since I played it, but I honestly found Fortnite to be pretty non-predatory compared to most live service games. I know that's a low bar, but at least you can just buy stuff when you see them on there. If we looked at the top 100 played steam games, I don't think Fortnite would crack the top 15 for most manipulative.
- blell 8mo ago
  Children do not have money of their own and can’t spend their parents’ money.
  - charcircuit 8mo ago
    Yes, they do. They can even make money.
    - tosti 8mo ago
      But not by playing P2W games.
sentrysapper 8mo ago
it is unreasonably easy to make non-refundable purchases in these games. They deserve this and every lawsuit that follows.
mattashii 8mo ago
Epic wasn't fined for putting things on sale. Instead, it was fined for putting pressure on children to buy things that were put on sale; e.g. through wording like "Get it now" and "Grab it", and through design. For details, check the ruling here (Dutch): https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBROT:2026:171&showbutton=true&idx=1 https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBROT:2...
- wvenable 8mo ago
  This makes no sense. You can't buy anything on Fortnite with real money. The purchase you make is for blocks of v-bucks which can then be spent on items. The actual financial transaction is completely divorced from any items that are on sale and, hopefully, that financial transaction is completely out of the direct control of children.
  - zxcvasd 8mo ago
    [dead]
basketbla 8mo ago
Weirdly I agree. After seeing the truly god-awful pay to win gambling-filled landscape of Roblox, Fortnite feels pretty tame and respectful. V bucks aren't shoved down your throat, the battle passes are pretty transparent about what you get, and the whole cosmetics store feels less lootbox-heavy than a lot of games. Edit: ope literally just saw this in another comment, whoops: https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party-microtransactions-steal-the-brainrots-developer-is-slammed-by-fans-for-immediately-adding-45-premium-bundles-and-gambling-style-mechanics https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party...
- kotaKat 8mo ago
  > Now, third-party games can offer premium in-game items and effects, with developers pocketing 37% of the proceeds — temporarily doubled to 74% for 12 months. 37%? Developers get a 37% cut? Holy fucking hypocrisy from Tim Sweeney and the camp at Epic Games with their predation here.
  - deleted 8mo ago
    [deleted]
  - basketbla 8mo ago
    Still not as bad as Roblox! (but yeah still bad) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28249094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28249094
Aurornis 8mo ago
The judgment isn't for having things on sale.
wvenable 8mo ago
I play Fortnite -- I get the battle pass, I have a lot of skins and items, and I have never paid a cent. I earn enough v-bucks from playing the game to never have to pay. That's actually pretty amazing and so I question this fine situation. If you didn't give your kid a cent for Fortnite, they could still play and have great time with their friends and basically get the full experience including skins, items, and emotes.

andy_ppp 8mo ago

It’s likely the judgement is more complex that that…

tosti 8mo ago

They created artificial scarcity and used time pressure to persuade children into spending their parents money. The fine can't be big enough imho. This is an evil dark-patterned business practise.

jsheard 8mo ago
Speaking of evil dark-patterned business practices, Epic just recently U-turned on lootboxes again. Fortnite did have them originally, but pivoted to the less egregious FOMO sales funnel around when it got really popular, except now they've backtracked by allowing pay-to-win and lootbox mechanics in user-created game modes. https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party-microtransactions-steal-the-brainrots-developer-is-slammed-by-fans-for-immediately-adding-45-premium-bundles-and-gambling-style-mechanics https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party... Fortnite's user-created modes are essentially an attempt to compete with Roblox, and like Roblox their age demographics skew very young, so this reads as a deliberate attempt to exploit children specifically.
koolala 8mo ago
Why can't Valve and others get fined for worse designs? Because Teens play Counter-strike and not children?
Capricorn2481 8mo ago
Maybe it has changed since I played it, but I honestly found Fortnite to be pretty non-predatory compared to most live service games. I know that's a low bar, but at least you can just buy stuff when you see them on there. If we looked at the top 100 played steam games, I don't think Fortnite would crack the top 15 for most manipulative.
blell 8mo ago
Children do not have money of their own and can’t spend their parents’ money.
- charcircuit 8mo ago
  Yes, they do. They can even make money.
  - tosti 8mo ago
    But not by playing P2W games.

sentrysapper 8mo ago

it is unreasonably easy to make non-refundable purchases in these games. They deserve this and every lawsuit that follows.

mattashii 8mo ago

Epic wasn't fined for putting things on sale. Instead, it was fined for putting pressure on children to buy things that were put on sale; e.g. through wording like "Get it now" and "Grab it", and through design. For details, check the ruling here (Dutch): https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBROT:2026:171&showbutton=true&idx=1 https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBROT:2...

wvenable 8mo ago
This makes no sense. You can't buy anything on Fortnite with real money. The purchase you make is for blocks of v-bucks which can then be spent on items. The actual financial transaction is completely divorced from any items that are on sale and, hopefully, that financial transaction is completely out of the direct control of children.
- zxcvasd 8mo ago
  [dead]

basketbla 8mo ago

Weirdly I agree. After seeing the truly god-awful pay to win gambling-filled landscape of Roblox, Fortnite feels pretty tame and respectful. V bucks aren't shoved down your throat, the battle passes are pretty transparent about what you get, and the whole cosmetics store feels less lootbox-heavy than a lot of games. Edit: ope literally just saw this in another comment, whoops: https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party-microtransactions-steal-the-brainrots-developer-is-slammed-by-fans-for-immediately-adding-45-premium-bundles-and-gambling-style-mechanics https://www.ign.com/articles/as-fortnite-enables-third-party...

kotaKat 8mo ago
> Now, third-party games can offer premium in-game items and effects, with developers pocketing 37% of the proceeds — temporarily doubled to 74% for 12 months. 37%? Developers get a 37% cut? Holy fucking hypocrisy from Tim Sweeney and the camp at Epic Games with their predation here.
- deleted 8mo ago
  [deleted]
- basketbla 8mo ago
  Still not as bad as Roblox! (but yeah still bad) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28249094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28249094

Aurornis 8mo ago

The judgment isn't for having things on sale.

wvenable 8mo ago

I play Fortnite -- I get the battle pass, I have a lot of skins and items, and I have never paid a cent. I earn enough v-bucks from playing the game to never have to pay. That's actually pretty amazing and so I question this fine situation. If you didn't give your kid a cent for Fortnite, they could still play and have great time with their friends and basically get the full experience including skins, items, and emotes.