Fortnite is as addictive as cocaine? Lawsuit against Epic Games guarantees it

Canada gave the green light class action lawsuit against Epic Games parents who complain about the negative impact Fortnite in their children. In accordance with STV news, Justice of the Supreme Court of Quebec, Sylvain Lussier, sanctioned a 2019 lawsuit alleging that Epic designed a popular video game to be highly addictive. One of the law firms representing the plaintiffs compared with Fortnite with cocaine.

Three parents accuse Epic Games of developing an addiction that has caused physical, psychological and financial damage to their children. The lawsuit alleges that the minors played for thousands of hours a day. Fortniteand in some cases forgot to eat or shower. one of the victims spent 7781 hours playing the popular battle royale less than two years, sometimes staying up until 3am

The class action lawsuit mentions other negative consequences, such as the fact that minors stopped communicating and left the family. Sometimes they spent hundreds of dollars on purchases within Fortnitesometimes without the knowledge of the parents. One of the parents submitted to the court a medical report in which the minor was diagnosed with cyber addiction.

Calex, the law firm that represents victims, bases the class action on the fact that Video game addiction is a disorder recognized by the World Health Organization.. Alessandra Esposito, Calex’s lawyer, determined that Epic Games intended to create the game specifically to make it as immersive as possible. Esposito said the company must take responsibility for the “devastating impact” it is causing. Fortnite in people’s lives.

Why Fortnite It’s just as addictive as cocaine

One of the brightest parts of the trial is comparison Fortnite with cocaine. Lawyers cite a report by Anita Gadia-Smith, a psychotherapist who specializes in addictions, who compared the addictive qualities of the game to battle royale with one of the most popular drugs.

Gadia-Smith mentioned that when we flooded dopamine, the usual amount no longer satisfies us. That’s why we need more and more, why we turn to our electronic devices – or, in this case, to Fortnite – feel normal. The specialist points out that this behavior is especially harmful to minorsbecause, while glued to the screen, they lack normal human development and the ability to integrate with other people.

Is it the fault of the video game or the parents?

The strategy of blaming video games for every possible misfortune is not new. For decades we’ve seen the parade political campaigns detailing how to play Mortal Kombat or Grand Theft Auto makes us cruel up to and including robbery, murder, or taking someone’s head off with everything and the backbone. To date, none of these campaigns have come to fruition, and the American Psychiatric Association states that insufficient evidence to recognize video game addiction as a mental disorder unique.

Advocates point out that while parents should monitor their children’s online behavior, they cannot be held fully responsible. “If a father had received a fair warning, would he have allowed his children to play Fortnite? Esposito said. While none of the claims were proven in court, Judge Lussier granted the suit, stating that it did not rule out the possibility that the game was addictive and that its creator and distributor were presumed to be aware of this.

plaintiffs are seeking redress as well as the return of all the money spent by their children in turkeys. Epic Games will have 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision, otherwise they will have to defend the case in court.