Parents sue Fornite makers, say children stopped eating or sleeping in order to play game
Fortnite
A class-action lawsuit filed by three parents, that says their children became addicted to video game Fortnite, has been approved by a Canadian judge. The lawsuit has been brought against the game's maker, Epic Games, and its Canadian subsidiary. The plaintiffs say that the addiction was at such a level that the kids didn't even sleep, eat or shower.
The lawsuit cites the World Health Organization ruling recognising video-game addiction in 2018. It claims that the makers developed the game to be "highly addictive". One of the children reportedly spent over 7,700 hours playing the game in less than two years.
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Fortnite is an extremely popular online game with more than 350 million players online. Epic Games has countered the suit saying that video-game addiction is not a recognised psychological disorder.
Taking the points in the lawsuit into consideration, Quebec Superior Court Justice Sylvain Lussier ruled that it was not "frivolous".
He compared gaming addiction to early awareness of tobacco addiction. "The harmful effect of tobacco was not recognised or admitted overnight," he said.
Other players who live in Quebec and saw addition symptoms after playing the Battle Royale edition of Fortnite since September 1, 2017 have been told that they can join the legal action.
(With inputs from agencies)
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