Parents sue Epic Games because their children won't eat, sleep or shower because of Fortnite

The Supreme Court of Canada has admitted a lawsuit by a group of parents who claim that their children suffer from addiction to Fortnite, Epic Games' immensely popular video game.

Parents sue Fortnite for causing addiction in their children: they neither eat nor sleep

A judge sitting on the Supreme Court of Canada has granted a class action lawsuit by a group of parents against Epic Games on the grounds that their children suffer from gaming addiction. They claim their children won't sleep, eat or shower because they are addicted.

Full screen

One of the arguments they present as part of their lawsuit is that the World Health Organization recognized video game addiction as a mental disorder. One of the plaintiffs' sons amassed 7,700 hours of gaming in less than two years. After considering all the evidence presented, Magistrate Sylvain Lussier concluded that this is not a "frivolous" lawsuit. Not only that; he also encourages any Quebec resident who has suffered from symptoms of addiction after playing Fortnite since September 1, 2017, to join the class action lawsuit.

On the other hand, Epic Games is confident that they will win the litigation. They argue that Fortnite “have industry-leading Parental Controls that empower parents to supervise their child’s digital experience." "Parents can receive playtime reports that track the amount of time their child plays each week, and require parental permission before purchases are made, so that they can make the decisions that are right for their family," they add. Only time will tell who the Canadian courts prove right.

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 kicked off last Sunday, December 4. Don't miss out on what's new this season, the Reality Augments, how long it will last, as well as the characters and items you can unlock in the Battle Pass.

Source | BBC News