In 2019, Canadian law firm Calex Legal sought approval to file a class action lawsuit against Epic Games (opens in new tab) on behalf of parents who claim their children have become addicted to Fortnite, as reported by CTV News (opens in new tab), A Quebec judge has approved the class action lawsuit, allowing it to proceed.

Gaming is often described as "addictive," but in the case of this lawsuit, that term is being used literally. In its filing (opens in new tab), the law firm Calex Legal, which represents the parents, states that addiction to Fortnite is "akin to cocaine addiction" and cites a 2018 article in which a British behavioral expert stated that Fortnite is "like heroin."

The complaint alleges that Epic Games used "experts" during the development of Fortnite to ensure maximum addiction for players and did not inform them of "the risks and dangers associated with using 'Fortnite'" when creating player profiles. Epic also accuses the company of enticing children once hooked by promising cash prizes and prestige "including the Fortnite World Cup with over $30 million in total prize money."

One player, who was 13 when the lawsuit was filed, allegedly went from playing "several hours a week" to "several hours a day," often until 1 a.m., in just two years. The 10-year-old also spent nearly $600 in Fortnite V-bucks, although it is unclear whether this was done with or without the knowledge of his parents.

Not surprisingly, the lawsuit, along with various media-focused reports such as "further evidence that Fortnite is bad for children's health (opens in new tab)," and the World Health Organization's recent identification of "video game disorder (opens in new tab)" as a disease

"The effects of video game addiction, including Fortnite, on children's brains are particularly harmful in that children's continued attachment to the machines creates serious deficits in their ability to integrate all (human) emotions," the suit states. The experts report "gaps in vocabulary as well as in social integration. Indeed, it is recognized that the continuous use of electronic devices causes significant changes in the prefrontal cortex of the human brain, changes that particularly affect the developing young brain.

"The addictive nature of Fortnite has been recognized worldwide and compared to heroin in an article titled "Fortnite addiction is driving children to video game rehab" (open in new tab): Fortnite may be as addictive as Also in an article titled "heroin" (opens in new tab): Fortnite may be as addictive as heroin.

The approval of the class action is only the beginning of the process, but it is a major step forward, as the judge declared that the parents involved "have a defensible case."

"The Court is of the opinion that the facts alleged with respect to Plaintiffs' children, when considered in the context of certain expert statements regarding the formation of an addiction to video games, particularly Fortnite, are such that Plaintiffs may assert that they have a valid product liability claim against Defendants." The decision stated." The claim does not appear to be frivolous or manifestly baseless."

Epic, of course, sees the issue quite differently. In a statement sent to PC Gamer, Epic spokesperson Natalie Munoz said, "We have industry-leading parental controls that allow parents to supervise their children's digital experiences. "Parents receive weekly playtime reports that track their child's playtime and require parental permission prior to purchase so they can make the right decisions for their family. We also recently added a default daily spending limit for players under the age of 13.

"We intend to contest this in court. This decision allows the case to proceed to trial. We believe the evidence will show that the case is without merit."

Calex Legal is currently seeking more people (open in new tab) to join the class action lawsuit against Fortnite.