Epic Games pays virtual money in loot box settlement

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Fortnite-maker Epic Games has put out word it is paying the equivalent of about $8 worth of its virtual money to some players to settle a lawsuit over so-called random-item “loot boxes.”

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The Fortnite maker said it would automatically drop 1,000 V-Bucks into accounts of players who bought Loot Llama pinata-style figures containing in-game items, without knowing what was inside until they had already purchased them.

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“While some of you enjoyed purchasing random item Loot Llamas and being surprised by the content unlocked, others were disappointed,” Epic said in a blog post.

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“So we decided a better experience for players was to be upfront and outline the details of in-game purchases.”

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Mystery “loot boxes” requiring players to take chances on contents have been controversial, equated by some to gambling, and have prompted legal woes for video game makers.

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“We’re dropping 1000 V-Bucks into the accounts of all players globally who bought a random item Loot Llama in STW before we stopped offering them,” Epic said in a tweet. “If you purchased this item you should see the V-Bucks in your account over the next few days.”

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The settlement came in a class action case representing people in the United States who has played with a Fortnite or Rocket League account since July of 2015.

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Rocket League players who qualify will get 1,000 credits to accounts used to acquire random-item “crate” loot boxes, according to Epic.

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“The proposed settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Epic Games, and it denies that it violated the law,” the website maintained.

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The settlement also provides $26.5 million to resolve claims by US players arising from in-game purchases.

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