Overview
- The Rotterdam court upheld the Dutch consumer authority ACM’s findings from the 2020–2021 period and confirmed two fines totaling €1,125,000 against Epic Games.
- The ruling found Fortnite’s ads and store design constituted direct inducement of minors, including 24‑hour offer rotations, countdown timers, and unclear availability.
- A binding order requires removing urgency signals, clearly displaying how long items are available, and showing only items available for more than 48 hours to under‑18s in the Netherlands.
- Judges rejected Epic’s defenses that refunds, purchase cancellations, and parental controls addressed the issue, noting they did not mitigate pre‑purchase pressure.
- Fortnite monetizes through cosmetic sales to a vast global user base, and Epic may still appeal to the Netherlands’ Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal.