Canadian parents are seeking a class action lawsuit against Fortnite and Epic Games due to its addictive nature, similar to lawsuits seen in the past against tobacco industries.
The parents claim the game was released without any addictive warnings and that the developers consulted with psychologists perfecting the addictive nature by studying human behaviour to make the game as addictive as possible.
CBC reports the legal notice filed by the firm compared Fortnite to cocaine as it releases dopamine in the brain of young players making them dependant on the game. One parent claims in their filings that their 10-year-old son has been playing the game almost daily for months and becomes very frustrated and angry when they try and limit his game time.
Another parent claims their son developed an addiction to Fortnite immediately after playing it. The Fortnite lawsuit goes on to note that some players don’t eat, sleep or even socialize.
The catch here is that Epic Games’ terms of service include a class-action waiver provision preventing any lawsuits against the company. However, Calex Legal, the law firm taking on the case, believes it still has a good case in Quebec stating the waiver is not legal in the territory.
The firm has not revealed how much money they are asking for as they are waiting for the judge to rule on the class-action request.
This is not the first time Fortnite has been in the news. The game has been in the spotlight in the past as health organizations drive to cure gaming addiction with Fortnite being the big culprit in many scenarios. Youth find themselves hooked on the game for hours on end.
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