Epic Games pays 1,000 V-Bucks to Loot Llama buyers

Fortnite-maker Epic Games on Monday said it was paying virtual money to some of the players to settle a lawsuit over the so-called random-item “loot boxes”, AFP reported. The Fortnite maker is dropping $8 worth of its virtual money or 1,000 V-Bucks into accounts of players who bought Loot Llama pinata-style figures containing in-game items, without knowing what was inside until they had already purchased them.

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In a blog post, Epic Games said that while some enjoyed purchasing random item Loot Llamas and were “surprised by the content unlocked, others were disappointed.”

“So we decided a better experience for players was to be upfront and outline the details of in-game purchases,” it said.

Mystery “loot boxes” requiring players to take chances on contents have been controversial, equated by some to gambling, and have prompted legal woes for video game makers.

“We’re dropping 1000 V-Bucks into the accounts of all players globally who bought a random item Loot Llama in STW before we stopped offering them,” Epic said in a tweet.

“If you purchased this item you should see the V-Bucks in your account over the next few days.”

The settlement came in a class action case representing people in the United States who have played with a Fortnite or Rocket League account since July of 2015.

Rocket League players who qualify will get 1,000 credits to accounts used to acquire random-item “crate” loot boxes, according to Epic.

“The proposed settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Epic Games, and it denies that it violated the law,” the website maintained.

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The settlement also provides $26.5 million to resolve claims by US players arising from in-game purchases.