For the past few years, the most popular online game has been Epic Games' Fortnite, which has an online store for related purchases. It is estimated that about 30 million people worldwide connect online and play Fortnite daily.

It was revealed that Dutch authorities today fined Epic Games €1.1 million, judging that vulnerable children are being exploited and pressured to make purchases in the game's online store. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) imposed two separate fines totaling €1.1 million on Epic Games, finding that young players "are at risk of feeling pressured in many ways to make purchases."

The ACM imposed the first fine for expressions used by the game, such as "Get it now" or "Buy now." Advertisements that directly encourage children to make purchases constitute "illegal and aggressive commercial practices in any case," according to the Authority.

The second fine was imposed for "misleading" countdown timers that pressure children to make purchases quickly, leading them to believe that the item will disappear at the end of the countdown—sometimes incorrectly.

"The vulnerabilities of children were exploited, and they were pressured to make purchases," said ACM board member Cateautje Hijmans van den Bergh. "With this decision, we send a clear message: children should be able to play online games without undue pressure," she said. The Authority ordered Epic Games to comply with the order by June 10, 2024.

"The results... contain significant substantive errors regarding the operation of Fortnite and the Item Shop," the company said in a statement, disputing the decision. Epic Games has already implemented several changes, including removing the countdown timers from the item shop worldwide, according to the ACM. For the Netherlands, the company will only offer purchases in Fortnite's Item Shop that are available for 48 hours or more.

"The ACM believes that Epic will comply with the above binding directives," the statement added, noting that it will check after June 10. However, Epic Games claimed that the changes would lead to a "bad experience for players."