The settlement’s website says payments from Epic Games began Thursday, and legal documents emphasize that the settlement “represents a compromise of the disputed claims and does not constitute an admission of liability, wrongdoing or wrongdoing” in the case.
The class action lawsuit was certified by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the settlement also resolves claims in a separate and similar litigation in Quebec.
The lawsuit originally alleged that Epic’s placement of loot boxes in video games like Fortnite and Rocket League – where players pay with real money to receive a digital opportunity to roll dice to win an in-game item – constituted unlicensed gambling represent.
In a statement, Epic said it removed these “random packs” from these games in 2019 and players “should know in advance what they are purchasing when making in-game purchases.”
In addition to the compensation announcement, the company announced on the same day that it would be laying off approximately 16% of its workforce in connection with a “major structural change” in the Fortnite business model environment.