Fortnite and Rocket League players will soon be receiving 1,000 V-Bucks or Rocket League credits if they have ever purchased an in-game loot box. While Fortnite’s most popular mode, Fortnite: Battle Royale, has never featured these randomized loot boxes, they were a prominent feature in Fortnite: Save the World up until 2019. Afterwards, players were able to see inside of the loot boxes before purchasing them, which addressed the mounting criticism the game was receiving over the promotion of gambling. Of course, Fortnite is not the first game to feature randomized loot boxes, but the game’s massive appeal and younger player base have made it a prime target for the mechanic’s opponents.
The issue surrounding loot boxes has never quite been the boxes themselves, but rather the ability to pay for them with real money. This is further exacerbated when the boxes hold rewards that can give the recipients an in-game advantage. In Call of Duty: Warzone, for example, Activision recently came under fire for introducing a blueprint for the MAC-10 submachine gun that had increased stats. Had the blueprint been locked behind in-game progression, players would likely not have taken issue with it; however, the ability to instantly purchase the weapon with real money meant that players were essentially paying to win.
According to The Verge, Epic Games’ decision to issue V-Bucks to players comes as a result of a proposed settlement to a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit comes as the result of an underage player who sued Epic on the grounds that the game's loot box mechanics were deceiving towards players. This deception was said to take place because the company did not disclose item drop rates, meaning that players were spending real money without having any way of knowing how good their chances were of receiving the items they wanted.
Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, told The Verge that the disappointment players felt when they received undesirable items was the reason random item loot boxes were removed from both Fortnite and Rocket League. In reference to the current system, where players can see what is inside the box before they pay for it, Sweeney said that “Players should know upfront what they are paying for when they make in-game purchases.” Because Fortnite’s loot boxes only contain cosmetic items, meaning that they do not grant players advantages over others, the ability to see what one is purchasing before confirming the transaction essentially solves the problem the lawsuit was alleging.
In this case, Epic is going above and beyond to make amends. While these types of lawsuits generally require those affected to file claims in order to receive benefits, all Fortnite players who have ever purchased a randomized loot box will receive 1,000 V-Bucks beginning today. However, those wishing to file specific claims regarding legal harm are eligible for either $50 or 13,500 V-Bucks if their claim is approved. The option for residents of the United States to file these additional claims is available through www.epiclootboxsettlement.com.
Regarding loot boxes, Epic’s lawsuit is now the defining example of what can happen when the mechanic crosses too far into the realm of gambling. Many other developers include loot boxes in their games, and while allowing players to purchase in-game advantages with real money is on the decline, the ability to purchase cosmetic items is not. This settlement, which provides over $26.4 million for Fortnite and Rocket League players who file claims, will likely be what developers look toward in the future when deciding how to implement loot box mechanics.
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