Apps

Fortnite

Medium-high risk

A fast-paced multiplayer game with open voice chat, heavy cosmetic spending pressure, and long competitive sessions.

Start here — 3 things to do today

  1. 1

    Turn off voice chat first

    Settings → Audio → Voice Chat → OFF, or set it to Friends Only if you want to allow limited team communication.

  2. 2

    Enable Epic parental controls

    Go to epicgames.com/account, open Parental Controls, and set a PIN your child does not know.

  3. 3

    Protect purchases with the PIN

    Use Epic Parental Controls to require the PIN for all purchases or to place a monthly V-Bucks spending limit.

What parents worry about most

Voice chat is enabled by default and can place children into matches with random adult players. That is the primary contact risk and should be the first setting you change.

The one thing to do right now

The Epic Games Parental Controls PIN is the master control. Set it first and keep it private.

Risk level

LowMediumHighCritical

Age rating

12+ / Teen

Users

Huge cross-platform player base

Platform

PC, Console, Mobile

Age recommendation

Treat it as 12+ even if younger children are already playing

90+ min

Avg session

On by default

Voice chat

High pressure

V-Bucks spending

Significant

Competitive stress

Warning signs

Warning signs to know

Voice chat with strangers

High

Children can hear and talk to random players, including adults, during live matches unless chat is disabled.

V-Bucks spending pressure

High

Limited-time cosmetics, battle passes, and social status cues create repeated pressure to spend real money.

Competitive toxicity

High

Live matches can include insults, aggressive teammates, and verbal abuse that younger children are not ready for.

Free V-Bucks scams

Medium

Children are heavily targeted with fake codes, phishing pages, and account-stealing offers built around V-Bucks.

Sleep disruption

Medium

Matches and social momentum can make it difficult for children to stop at a sensible time without an external limit.

Step-by-step guide

Complete step-by-step guide

  1. 1

    Turn off voice chat first

    Settings → Audio → Voice Chat → OFF, or set it to Friends Only if you want to allow limited team communication.

  2. 2

    Enable Epic parental controls

    Go to epicgames.com/account, open Parental Controls, and set a PIN your child does not know.

  3. 3

    Protect purchases with the PIN

    Use Epic Parental Controls to require the PIN for all purchases or to place a monthly V-Bucks spending limit.

  4. 4

    Reduce cross-platform stranger contact

    Turn off Cross-Platform Communication in Parental Controls so random players from other platforms cannot reach them as easily.

  5. 5

    Use device-level stop times

    Set a firm session end with Screen Time, Family Link, Windows Family Safety, or console controls rather than relying on your child to stop voluntarily.

  6. 6

    Review transaction history monthly

    Check epicgames.com/account/transactions so spending patterns and surprise charges do not build up quietly.