Parents Sued Developers of Fortnite

In 2019, parents filed a lawsuit against Epic Games, the developers of the popular video game Fortnite, for getting their children "addicted" to the game. The lawsuit claimed that the developers intentionally made the game addictive by working with psychiatrists during the development process. 

In addition, the parents also argued that their children suffered from running away from home, sabotaging their education, and psychological issues such as panic attacks as a result of their addiction to the game. 

The parents' lawsuit was recently allowed to proceed by a Canadian court, setting an interesting precedent that could potentially catalyze big changes for the gaming industry.

The Court's Decision

Judge Sylvain Lucier of Quebec made the decision to allow the class-action lawsuit against Epic Games to proceed, saying that the plaintiffs' claim "does not appear frivolous or manifestly unreasonable." One of the factors that the judge relied on in his decision was the World Health Organization's classification of video game addiction as a disease. 

Epic Games' Response

Epic Games responded to the case by calling it "baseless" and announcing their intent to take it to court. It is unclear yet how the case will play out, but it is sure to have far-reaching consequences for the gaming industry.

It will be interesting to see how the case progresses and what kind of changes it will bring to the industry. It is also worth noting that the court's decision to allow the class-action lawsuit to proceed is based on the World Health Organization's recognition of video game addiction as a disease. This could potentially open up a new avenue of legal recourse for parents of gamers who feel that their children have been harmed by their addiction to video games.