Epic Games’ Legal Landscape: From App Store Victory to Addiction Lawsuits and Consumer Settlements

Epic’s Complex Legal Journey in 2025

A years-long legal dispute between Apple and Epic Games has finally reached resolution. The conflict, which began in 2020 when Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store, centered around commission fees and payment processing requirements.

Following recent developments, Apple’s App Store policies now allow developers to link to alternative payment options, though they initially required a 27% revenue share. Epic’s successful legal challenge led to further restrictions on Apple, preventing them from collecting revenue shares from non-Apple payment methods.

Consumer Settlements and Refunds

Epic Games is currently managing a significant settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), stemming from allegations that the company used deceptive practices to trick players into making unwanted purchases. The settlement amount reached $245 million.

The FTC has been actively distributing refunds to affected consumers, with eligible claims accepted until July 9, 2025. The first round of refunds in December 2024 distributed over $72 million through 629,344 payments, with an additional 969,173 payments scheduled for distribution. The total refund amount has now reached nearly $200 million.

New Legal Challenges: Addiction Lawsuits

Epic Games now faces new legal challenges regarding Fortnite’s addictive nature. The company is accused of employing psychological tactics, including in-game purchases, loot boxes, and reward systems, to maintain player engagement. Parents claim these features have caused psychological and physical injuries in young users. Children playing Fortnite often experience prolonged gaming sessions that can negatively impact their mental and physical health, with the game’s design encouraging compulsive behavior.

While there isn’t currently a formal class action lawsuit specifically for video game addiction, efforts are underway to consolidate individual cases into multidistrict litigation (MDL). This approach would centralize claims in one court to streamline the legal process while allowing each case to maintain its individual status, with compensation outcomes based on the severity of harm.