Back in 2019, which feels so long ago now, a Canadian law firm called Calex Legal began seeking approval to file a class action lawsuit against Epic Games. The reason? Some unhappy parents, who claimed that their children were addicted to Fortnite.
In Calex Legal’s original filing, it’s stated that the so-called addiction to Fortnite is similar to cocaine addiction”, and a source is cited in which it's claimed that that the game is “as addictive as heroin”. Very bold claims, no doubt. Now though, as PC Gamer and CTV News report, a judge in Quebec has authorised the class action, which means that the lawsuit can go ahead.
“The effects of video game addiction, including Fortnite, on the brains of children is particularly damaging in that when they are continually attached to their machines, they develop severe deficiencies in their ability to integrate the full spectrum [of human] emotions,” the lawsuit reads (via PC Gamer). “Specialists report gaps in vocabulary as well as gaps in social integration. Indeed, it is recognised that the continued use of electronic devices causes significant changes to the prefrontal cortex of the human brain, changes that particularly affect young developing brains.”
Unsurprisingly, Epic Games doesn’t exactly have the same point of view, and in a statement to PC Gamer, spokesperson Natalie Munoz confirmed that the company plans “to fight this in court”, stating that: “This recent decision only allows the case to proceed. We believe the evidence will show that this case is meritless.” Munoz also made reference to the company’s “industry-leading Parental Controls that empower parents to supervise their child’s digital experience”.
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As Epic Games has pointed out, just because the lawsuit is being allowed to proceed, that doesn’t mean that it’ll end up amounting to anything, and it certainly sounds like the company is confident that the case will end up going in its favour.
Topics: Fortnite, Epic Games