Is Fortnite safe for my child?

Fortnite can be a safe, fun game for many children, as long as a parent sets it up first. It’s rated PEGI 12 (Battle Royale, Save the World and Fortnite Festival), and the violence is cartoon-style with no blood (Internet Matters; Common Sense Media). The things worth managing are chat with people they don’t know, spending on the in-game currency, and time, because matches are short enough that “one more” is always tempting. Epic Games, which makes Fortnite, has free parental controls for all three.

Settings change, so this guide describes Epic’s current safety pages. If a menu looks different, check the linked pages.

What age is Fortnite for?

PEGI, the age-rating system used in Ireland and the UK, rates the main Fortnite modes 12, while LEGO Fortnite Odyssey is rated 7. Internet Matters explains that the ratings reflect violence, the ability to talk to other players and in-game spending (Internet Matters).

Common Sense Media, a US charity that reviews games, recommends it for 13 and up, mainly for the action violence. It also says that with the right controls and a parent involved, it can work for younger children (Common Sense Media). In other words, the two bodies are close, and both leave room for a parent’s judgement.

It helps to know that Fortnite is really several games in one. Battle Royale is the famous one: up to 100 players, last one standing wins. There’s also Save the World (a paid mode where players build a base and fight zombie-like creatures), the music game Fortnite Festival, and lots of player-made “islands”. Common Sense notes that Party Royale is a mode with no weapons at all.

Younger players start with a “cabined” account

Epic gives a cabined account to anyone who says they’re under 13 or under their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher (Epic Games). In Ireland, the age of digital consent is 16 (Data Protection Commission), so an Irish child under 16 who gives their real date of birth starts on one.

A cabined account can still play, but these are switched off until a parent says otherwise (Epic Games):

• voice chat and free text chat
• buying things with real money
• a custom display name (they get an automatic one instead)
• signing in to other apps and sites with their Epic account

When your child signs up, they’re asked for a parent’s email address. You’ll get an email called “Your Child Created an Epic Games Account”; follow its link to finish setting up the account and choose what to allow. That’s why it matters that your child enters their real date of birth: the protections depend on it.

The parental controls worth knowing

You manage these by signing in to your child’s Epic account and opening Parental Controls in the Epic Account Portal on the web. Some can also be changed inside Fortnite, using your parental controls PIN (Epic Games).

Chat. Voice and text chat each have four options: Everybody, Friends, team members & connections, Friends Only or Nobody. Under-10s are capped at Friends Only and under-13s at Friends, team members & connections, whatever you choose. You can also turn on Filter Mature Language (always on for under-13s) and Require a PIN to Add Friends, so you approve each new friend.

Spending. Fortnite’s currency is V-Bucks. The Battle Pass, which unlocks rewards over a season, costs 950 V-Bucks, which Internet Matters puts at roughly £8 (Internet Matters). In Epic’s controls, Require a PIN for Epic Games Payments covers real-money purchases made through Epic, and Allow Paid Random Items can be switched off so V-Bucks can’t be spent on mystery rewards (not available everywhere). Epic is clear that the PIN doesn’t cover purchases made through the console’s or phone’s own shop, so set the device’s spending controls too.

Age ratings for islands. A Fortnite Content Ratings slider means player-made islands above the level you choose need your PIN.

Time. You can set a daily limit or specific playing hours. Your child gets a warning with 30 minutes left, and with Request for More Time turned on, they can ask you for extra. Time Reports show a daily breakdown in the portal, and you can get a weekly summary by email.

AI characters. A newer setting, Allow Voice and Written Communication with AI Features, controls whether your child can chat with AI-powered characters in the game.

Don’t forget the console or device

Epic points out that chat can also happen through the console’s own party chat, which its settings don’t cover, so turn on the device’s parental controls as well (Epic Games). We have step-by-step guides for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and stopping in-game spending.

Making stopping easier

Common Sense Media notes that a match lasts about 20 minutes, so it suggests agreeing a number of matches rather than a number of minutes, and using the end of a match as the natural stopping point (Common Sense Media). Stopping mid-match can mean leaving teammates in the lurch, which feels like a big deal to a child, so agreeing the finish line in advance saves a lot of arguments.

What to do next

• Check the date of birth on your child’s Epic account, and finish the parental consent email if it’s waiting in your inbox.
• Set chat to Friends Only (or Nobody) and turn on Require a PIN to Add Friends in the Epic Account Portal. You can open things up as they get older.
• Switch on the PIN for purchases and the device’s own spending limit, and agree how V-Bucks get earned or bought in your house.
• Play a match together. Internet Matters suggests it as a way to learn the game, and it makes talking about who they play with, and how to block or report someone, feel natural (Internet Matters).

Every child is different, and you know yours best. With the settings in place and an open conversation, Fortnite can be just another game they enjoy.