Fortnite players who purchased one of Save The World’s randomised Loot Llamas will receive 1000 V-Bucks, developer Epic announced today. The move comes as part of a preliminary class action settlement regarding loot boxes.
“Whether you were a fan of random item Loot Llamas or not, with preliminary approval for a class action settlement, we’re awarding 1,000 V-Bucks to anyone that purchased a random Loot Llama,” Epic wrote. “While this settlement was for U.S. players only, we have decided to make this benefit available to players globally. There’s no action needed on your part, and you should receive your V-Bucks within the next few days.”
Rocket League players who purchased an event crate or key will receive 1,000 Rocket League credits as part of the same settlement. Epic purchased Rocket League developer Psyonix in 2019.
The move is in response to a class-action lawsuit in the Superior Court of North Carolina, which is not yet officially settled, The Verge reported. The Verge writes that “the proposed settlement also provides up to $US26.4 ($33) million in additional cash and other benefits for Fortnite and Rocket League players” who feel they suffered additional legal harm from the games’ loot boxes. Eligible players include minors in California who used their own money to purchase loot boxes, as well as U.S.-based Fortnite or Rocket League players more broadly. In each case, players could be entitled to up to either $US50 ($63) or their Rocket League or Fortnite currency equivalents. Players can learn more about their options at a class action suit site linked in Epic’s announcement.
Epic changed up Save the World’s Loot Llamas in early 2019, making their contents visible before purchase rather than forcing players to purchase them without knowing what was inside. In August of that year, Psyonix announced a similar change to Rocket League’s loot boxes, which it released at the end of 2019. All of this was part of an expanding conversation around the mechanics of loot boxes, which drew ire over Star Wars Battlefront II’s boxes, companies disclosing loot box odds, and the ESRB eventually adding a rating for games with in-game purchases. Some lawmakers began adding legislation that would categorise loot boxes as gambling. Similar conversations took place in Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“We stopped offering random item loot boxes like Fortnite Loot Llamas and Rocket League Crates because we realised that some players were repeatedly disappointed by not receiving the random items they hoped for,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney told The Verge. “Players should know upfront what they are paying for when they make in-game purchases.”
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