Parents Sue Fortnite Video Game Creators, Claiming Their Children Are Addicted

Parents are saying that their children won't eat or shower anymore due to addiction to Fortnite video game. Thus, they are now taking action by filing a lawsuit against its creator Epic Games.

A judge from Canada's Supreme Court authorized a lawsuit against Fortnite's manufacturer, Epic Games, filed by Quebec parents who argue that they are seeing symptoms of addiction in their kids while playing the video game.

BBC News  reported that in July there were 3 parents that informed Justice Sylvain Lussier about their kids' severe dependence on Fortnite to the point that they have stopped eating, showering and sleeping because they cannot stop playing. 

Lussier on Wednesday ruled that the class-action suit wasn't "frivolous or manifestly ill-founded." In fact, it concluded that there is an arguable serious issue supported by "sufficient and specific allegations" that presented the existence of real risks and dangers arising from playing the video game.

Moreover, Lussier compared video game and tobacco addictions and ruled that like the harmful effect of tobacco, it cannot be "recognized or admitted overnight."

'Case is meritless'

The court, however, did not agree with what parents are saying that Epic Games was intentional and deliberate in making the video game addictive.

According to the judge, the court found no evidence for this allegation. Yet, it did not exclude the possibility of the game being addictive and the creators are presumed to know about its effect.

Epic Games, on the other hand, denied the validity of the suit as reported by Business Insider,

In a released statement, it emphasized that they have "industry-leading parental controls that empower parents to supervise their child's digital experience".

"Parents can receive playtime reports that track the amount of time their child plays each week, and require parental permission before purchases are made. We plan to fight this in court. We believe the evidence will show that this case is meritless," Epic Games declared. 

Read Also: How Fortnite Turned Into a Real-Life Experience

350 million players worldwide

Four years after the initial release of Fortnite, millions of people play the video games simultaneously across all platforms, TechAcake stated.

The game features comic book visuals, 100-man massacres, and frequent collaborations with franchises like the Star Wars, Marvel, and others.

On average, the video game has attracted over 80 million active players on a monthly basis, and it has more than 350 million accumulated players online from all over the world. 

The game is free to play, but players need to pay in order to use the in-game money, which is called "V Bucks." Fortnite reportedly has made more than 9 billion dollars worldwide.

One of the children cited in the lawsuit was said to have played over 7,700 hours in less than two years.

Judge Lussier is calling out to all players living in Quebec who have experienced symptoms of addiction after playing Fornite's Battle Royale edition since the 1st of September 2017 to join the legal action.

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