The firm has filed a request to launch a class-action suit against Epic Games, which it claims designed the video game with psychologists to make it more addictive.
U.S. video gamer Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf, 16, won the Fortnite world championship in July 2019. JOHANNES EISELE / AFP/Getty Images
A Montreal law firm is seeking permission to file a class action lawsuit against the maker of Fortnite, arguing that the popular online video game creates addiction without warning players of the risks involved.
Calex Légal filed a request for class-action authorization against Epic Games Inc. and its Canadian subsidiary at the Montreal courthouse Thursday, according to a statement from the firm. Calex's clients are parents of two minors, a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old, who are "highly addicted" to Fortnite.
Jean-Philippe Caron, a lawyer at Calex, said the firm was contacted by several parents whose kids had become addicted to the game.
Last year, the World Health Organization classified addiction to video games as a disease. It defined the disorder as "a pattern of gaming behaviour characterized by impaired control over gaming, increased priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."
According to Caron, Fortnite was designed by psychologists to make it more addictive. Fortnite earned Epic Games $2.4 billion last year, a tally that market researcher SuperData called the highest of any game in history.
"They knew that their game was very attractive, yet they did not divulge the risks to the population," Caron told 98.5 FM radio's Paul Arcand in an interview Friday morning. "It's a little like tobacco."
Epic Games didn't immediately respond Friday to an email from the Montreal Gazette seeking comment.
According to Caron, the 10-year-old started playing Fortnite about a year ago. He played about 1,700 games in seven months.
As for the 15-year-old, he has played more than 7,000 games in about two years, Caron said. The boy often goes to sleep at 3 a.m. on weekends and at 1 a.m. on weeknights as a result, he said.
Epic, which is based in North Carolina, opened a studio in Montreal last year. The company was recently looking to hire a 3D artist to work on Fortnite at its offices on McGill College Ave., according to a LinkedIn post.
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