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Lawsuit compares ‘Fortnite’ to cocaine addiction

Posted at 3:14 PM, Oct 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-07 15:16:40-04

MONTREAL — “Fortnite” causes an addiction for children that is similar to cocaine, according to a legal notice filed in Canada.

The CBC reports Montreal law firm Calex Legal is trying to get a class-action lawsuit authorized against Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite.” The legal notice is filed on behalf of two parents for children ages 10 and 15, and says it releases dopamine into the brain of vulnerable kids who can become dependent on playing.

A lawyer at the firm told the CBC the game’s massive success is built on research and development aimed at creating an addictive game, and Epic hired psychologists to make the game as addictive as possible.

The lawsuit is based on a 2015 ruling that said tobacco companies didn’t warn consumers about the dangers of smoking.

In 2018, the World Health Organization classified video game addiction as a disease. Attorneys and the lawsuit argue Epic has a responsibility to warn users of something that is dangerously addictive.