Canadian gamers, beware: A judge has ruled a class–action lawsuit can move forward against the maker of Fortnite, Epic Games. Three Canadian parents brought the lawsuit, claiming their children were so hooked on the game that they would forgo sleeping, eating and showering.
Fortnite is one of the most popular online games, with over 350 million players worldwide and reportedly generating $9 billion in revenue. The majority of Fortnite players are actually adults — 60 percent are 18-24 — so don’t think its popularity is affecting just kids.
The World Health Organization has recognized video–game addiction as a real psychological disorder, but Epic Games has argued against it. Regardless, the judge likened the current understanding of video–game addiction to the early awareness of tobacco addiction, ruling that players who experienced symptoms of addiction after playing the Battle Royale edition of Fortnite since September 2017 could join the legal action.
The lawsuit claims that the game was deliberately developed to be “highly addictive,” and the judge agreed that it wasn‘t “frivolous.” He acknowledged that the negative effects of video–game addiction are still being researched, but warned that it could be as serious as any other addiction.
The case is likely to be long and complicated, but the judge‘s ruling is a major victory for the plaintiffs and could have far–reaching implications for the future of video–game regulation. It remains to be seen whether Epic Games will choose to fight the lawsuit in court, or if the case will be settled out of court. In any event, this legal action is a reminder that maybe it’s time to .