Epic Games hit with €100M Fortnite lawsuit in the Netherlands

Dutch consumer group SMC is seeking over €100 million from Epic Games, accusing Fortnite of pressuring minors into spending and violating privacy rules.

Ever dropped real money on V-Bucks without really thinking it through? A Dutch consumer group says you're not alone, and it's now going after Epic Games over it.

Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC), a Dutch consumer foundation, has launched a collective action against Epic Games over Fortnite. The group argues that the game's design and store mechanics put unnecessary spending pressure on young players. It wants Epic to refund money spent in-game and pay damages, with the total claim topping €100 million — roughly NT$18 billion.

SMC went public with its campaign on September 24, according to Gamesindustry.biz. Nothing has reached a courtroom yet: the group has sent Epic a formal notice and proposed a collective settlement. If the two sides can't work something out, SMC says it will take the case to court.

So who's covered? The action targets people living in the Netherlands who played Fortnite before turning 21. SMC is asking Epic to refund transactions players didn't make of their own free will, plus compensation for addiction and related harm. It also wants damages over claims that Epic collected children's personal data without parental consent, which SMC says breaches GDPR privacy rules.

This isn't the first time Epic has faced heat over Fortnite's store in the Netherlands. Back in 2024, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) fined Epic €1.125 million, calling the game's in-game design an "unfair commercial practice." The regulator pointed to misleading countdown timers in the Fortnite shop and in-game ads that marketed directly to children. Epic appealed, but the Rotterdam District Court upheld the ACM's decision in January 2026, and Epic ultimately dropped its appeal and paid up.

The fines broke down neatly: €562,500 over shop wording like "get it now" and "buy now," and about €560,000 over timers that made players think items would vanish once the countdown ended. SMC also cites a study of more than 1,000 Dutch teens aged 16 to 19. About 60 percent of those who bought game currency like V-Bucks said it "doesn't feel like real money," and half admitted regretting purchases they made under time pressure.

Epic, for its part, told GamesIndustry.biz that Fortnite offers plenty of parental controls and spending safeguards to manage kids' purchases and playtime. The company says the in-game shop no longer has countdown timers, Dutch players under 18 can't see or buy items listed for less than 48 hours, and under-16s get a "Cabined Account" that blocks cash purchases until a parent or guardian approves. Epic also points to two-step purchase confirmation, instant purchase cancellation, self-service returns, and the option to skip saving payment info.

Will the settlement talks go anywhere, or is this headed for a Dutch courtroom? And if you've ever regretted an impulse skin buy, does SMC's argument land for you?