Epic Games denies gambling: loot boxes for real money will appear in Fortnite

Fortnite will integrate gambling mechanics into custom modes created through the Unreal Editor. This was originally reported by Insider Gaming, citing data from insider ShiinaBR.

Epic Games later officially confirmed the introduction of the new feature in patch notes, but called it "paid random items." The essence of the mechanic is that players will be able to purchase random in-game items using "V-Bucks" - a currency purchased with real money. At the same time, card creators will be required to clearly indicate the chances of dropping rewards.

After the publication of the publication, Epic Games contacted Insider Gaming and demanded that the material be amended. The company stated that the new feature has nothing to do with gambling. As an argument, they referred to the internal rules for content creators (clauses 1.11 and 1.15.5), which directly prohibit the organisation of gambling and giveaways in Fortnite.

In response, the publication published a second article. Journalists pointed out that the mechanics of buying random items for real money (V-Bucks) are inherently loot boxes. In turn, loot boxes are legally recognised as a form of gambling in the legislation of a number of countries.

An indirect confirmation of the position of journalists was the actions of Epic Games themselves. The company has already announced that this mechanic will not be available in several countries due to local legislation: in Singapore, Qatar, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. The restrictions will also affect players under 18 years old in the UK and (from March 2026) in Brazil.

Previously, Fortnite custom modes already had mechanics with random rewards. However, to get them, they used currency that players earned directly within the mode itself, without the ability to spend real money.