Epic Games Says Gambling Is Not Coming to Fortnite

Video gaming juggernaut Epic Games has fired back at accusations of implementing mechanics for player-created gambling content. The developer firmly stated that it doesn’t condone casino-style games in its IP, although it became clear that it doesn’t consider loot boxes to constitute gambling.

Epic Games Responds

Epic Games’ response comes in the wake of outrage sparked by the alleged inclusion of gambling-like content in its flagship game Fortnite. As it turned out, Epic Games’ creator tools have a new addition that allows developers to implement paid random items.

Epic Games parried the allegations with its strict anti-gambling policy, saying that its developer rules strictly prohibit gambling, raffles, and casino-style games.

Despite that, Epic Games acknowledged the addition of tools for paid random items and insisted that random item mechanics, such as loot boxes, do not constitute gambling. This comes amid continued discourse about the legality of loot boxes and whether they are equivalent to gambling or not.

What Are Loot Boxes?

Loot boxes have gained notoriety due to their inherent similarities to gambling. For context, loot boxes are a type of offering where a player can pay money to gain randomly generated in-game assets, which can range from cosmetics that change the visuals of their character to gameplay-altering items, depending on the type of game.

Proponents of loot boxes have emphasized that in-game content is not equal to monetary prizes, which differentiates them from gambling. Some have also pointed out that every loot box is a winner, regardless of whether the items inside are valuable or not.

However, opponents of loot boxes have asserted that loot boxes prey on vulnerable minors, instilling harmful gambling habits. As a result, some markets have opted to ban similar mechanics completely, while others have been eyeing age restrictions and warnings.