Technologies

It’s Not Too Late to Claim a Part of Fortnite’s $245 Million Settlement. Learn How to File

The FTC has extended the deadline to file a claim for compensation from unintended in-game Fortnite purchases.

It’s been a good week for Fortnite gamers who felt cheated by accidental in-game purchases. The Federal Trade Commission announced it was distributing $126 million in compensation to 969,173 claimants this week, and it also extended the time to file a claim — the process had previously ended on Jan. 10, 2025.

Games who were charged by Fortnite for unwanted purchases between January 2017 and September 2022 who haven’t already filed now have until July 9, 2025, to participate in the settlement by filing a claim. The FTC says that since December, 629,344 payments went out to players who made those in-game purchases and who filed a valid claim by Oct. 8, 2024. The average payout was about $114 per customer and totaled $72 million.

In the settlement, the FTC concluded that Fortnite’s developer and publisher, Epic Games, used design tricks known as dark patterns to make in-game sales. «Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button,» the agency said in its March 2023 announcement.

The FTC has more money left, so it’s extending the claim deadline

The FTC apparently still has about $47 million left to distribute from the settlement. On June 25, the agency posted a notice alerting those who haven’t yet filed that they now have until July 9, to submit a claim at ftc.gov/fortnite.

The Fortnite settlement applies to anyone who was charged for in-game currency for items they did not want to purchase between January 2017 and September 2022; if a child made credit card charges without a parent’s knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018; or if an account was locked after a charge was disputed between January 2017 and September 2022.

Those filing must be 18 or older; minors can ask a parent or guardian to complete the form on their behalf.

One CNET staffer received his PayPal deposit (for $95.98) from a Fortnite claim in January, a pleasant surprise since he had forgotten about the settlement.

Epic’s Fortnite is wildly popular, especially with teens; in one game event last year, 44.7 million players participated on a single day. But the free-to-play game relies on players buying Battle Passes and other items with V-Bucks, the in-game currency.

Like other games-as-platforms that have a large audience of young people, such as Roblox, Fortnite has evolved on how to make its game secure for young people and to ensure that payments aren’t being generated without the player’s authorization.

How can I file a Fortnite claim?

When you visit the FTC’s Epic Games/Fortnite page to file a claim, you will be asked if you received a notification email from the FTC with a claim number. If you have a claim number, select Yes, click Next, then provide your claim number and solve a CAPTCHA test to submit your claim.

If you didn’t receive a notification or can no longer find your claim number, you can apply for a Fortnite claim using your Epic account ID. If you’re not sure of your Epic account ID, follow these steps from the Epic Games support page.

When and how will I receive my money from the FTC?

Eligible claims submitted by Oct. 8, 2024, and January have already started receiving payments. The FTC has not specified when money for new claims filed by July 9 will be distributed.

During the claims process on the FTC site, you will be able to specify whether you’d like to be paid with a check or via PayPal. Checks must be cashed within 90 days, and PayPal payments must be accepted within 30 days. For questions about your payment, you can call a claims support hotline at 1-800-915-0880 or email admin@fortniterefund.com.

Will filing a claim against Epic Games affect my Fortnite account?

According to the FTC, filing a claim will not affect the status of a player’s Fortnite account. For more information, see the FTC’s Fortnite refunds FAQ.

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.