A Canadian Supreme Court judge has upheld a lawsuit against the developer of Fortnite filed by parents in Quebec who say their children have become addicted to the video game. Earlier this year in July, three parents argued before the judge Sylvan Lussier, whose children are very addicted to Fortnite and have stopped eating, sleeping and showering as a result. The demand for the lawsuit itself caused a media response (less so in Israel), in the US, Canada and the UK, but most commentators assumed that it would not be approved by the judge. Lussier’s ruling on Wednesday stated that the class action was not filed “frivolously or is clearly unfounded” .
“The effects of video game addiction, including Fortnite, on children’s brains are particularly damaging in that when they are constantly connected to their computers, they develop severe deficits in their ability to integrate the whole spectrum [של הרגשות האנושיים]”, it says. “Many experts report gaps in vocabulary as well as gaps in social integration. Indeed, it is known that the continued use of electronic devices causes significant changes in the prefrontal cortex of the human brain, changes that particularly affect a developing young brain.” The judge also went on to refer to the World Health Organization recognizing ‘gaming disorder’ as a disease, along with other articles comparing Fortnite to heroin
Epic Games will be the defendant in a class action lawsuit that was filed, but Epic said the lawsuit is “worthless.” “We plan to fight this in court,” she said Natalie Munoz, Afik’s communications manager. “The latest decision only allows the case to continue. We believe that the evidence will show that this case is pointless.” Regardless of the lawsuit itself, Afik last week launched new accounts aimed at younger players for Fortnite as part of what it sees as creating a safer Metaverse for the younger generation. “We have industry-leading parental controls that empower parents to monitor their child’s digital experience,” Munoz said. “Parents can get playtime reports that track how much time their child plays each week, and require parental approval before making purchases, so they can make the right decisions for their family.”
This announcement shows that Apique is well aware of the popularity of its game among children and is therefore willing to implement new settings to allow them a safer experience. This latest lawsuit could be the catalyst for creating a safer digital environment not only for young Fortnite players, but also for young gamers of other games. EA and its FIFA games also had to defend itself when it comes to addiction, and various accusations over the years that in most cases did not lead to a welcome change or not. Like EA, Bafic also intends to fight this case.