Is Fortnite suitable for my child?

PEGI gives Fortnite as a whole a 'Parental Guidance' label (it replaced the old PEGI 12 rating in November 2023 because Fortnite now hosts many experiences) and rates individual modes separately: Battle Royale is PEGI 12 and LEGO Fortnite Odyssey is PEGI 7. Battle Royale features cartoon-style combat where players eliminate each other. The bigger concerns for parents tend to be voice chat with strangers, in-game spending on V-Bucks, and the potential for extended play sessions.

Can strangers talk to my child on Fortnite?

Yes — Fortnite has voice and text chat, so playing public matches or being squadded with random players can put your child in live contact with strangers, including adults. In Epic's parental controls you can set voice and text chat to Everybody, 'Friends, team members & connections', Friends Only or Nobody; the team option still includes teammates your child may not know. Epic puts under-13s in a Cabined Account with voice chat and free text chat off until a parent gives consent, and limits under-10s to Friends Only. Turning voice chat off in Fortnite may not stop voice on a console, so check the console's own chat settings too. For younger children, keeping voice chat to real-life friends and the console in a shared room is the safest setup.

How do I set up parental controls on Fortnite?

In Fortnite (player icon, menu icon, then Parental Controls) or on your Epic Games account you can set up a 6-digit Parental Controls PIN, using an email address you control, and then manage who your child can chat with, filter mature language, require your PIN to add friends and for Epic payments, set a content-rating limit for experiences, and set daily time limits and see time reports. Children under 13 (or the age of digital consent where that is higher) are placed in a 'Cabined Account' with voice chat, free text chat and real-money spending switched off until a parent gives consent. Setting the PIN first locks these choices so your child can't quietly change them.

Is Fortnite's chat and matchmaking safe for younger children?

Battle Royale mixes players of different ages together, and the biggest concern is usually not the cartoon combat but who your child ends up talking to. If a younger child plays, set them to friends-only chat, avoid open squad-fill with strangers, and talk about never sharing personal information or moving a conversation onto another app like Discord with someone they only know from the game.

Are V-Bucks and Fortnite's item shop a form of gambling?

Fortnite's main item shop shows what you're buying, rather than random loot-box rewards. Epic says paid random items are not available in all regions, and where they are it gives parents an 'Allow paid random items' switch. The concern is more that constant limited-time cosmetics and a battle pass create real pressure to keep spending. Talk about that pressure with your child, and use the payment PIN and your console or app store's spending controls so buying is always a deliberate, approved decision.

How do I manage how long my child plays Fortnite?

Fortnite's fast rounds and reward loops make it easy to keep 'just one more game', so open-ended sessions are common. Epic's parental controls can set a daily time limit or specific time windows (your child sees a warning when 30 minutes are left, and can ask for more time if you allow it) and show time reports, with an optional weekly email; the limit follows the Epic account across devices. The console's own tools (Screen Time, Family Safety, or Nintendo's parental app) can set hard limits on that device. Agreeing a sensible stopping point together — and warning before it ends — causes less conflict than pulling the plug mid-match.

How do I report a player on Fortnite?

Use the in-game Report Player feature (in the menu or by selecting the player) and the Feedback tool to flag abuse or inappropriate behaviour, and you can block or mute players. Reports go to Epic's moderation team. If a child is in immediate danger call 999, or 101 for non-emergency police matters. The NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) and Childline (0800 1111) are free and confidential; see /reporting for the UK decision tree.

Fortnite Safety Guide for Parents

Q: How do I stop my child spending money on Fortnite?

Epic's parental controls let you require your Parental Controls PIN for real-money purchases made through Epic's own payment system. Epic says this does not cover V-Bucks your child already holds, or payments made on gaming platforms such as PlayStation, Steam, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, so use those platforms' spending controls too (and your phone's app-store settings); there is also an 'Allow paid random items' setting where paid random items are offered. You should also remove saved payment methods from the Epic Games account and platform store (PlayStation, Xbox, etc.) to prevent impulse purchases.

A parent's guide to Fortnite, including voice chat, in-game spending, and Epic Games' parental control settings.

Fortnite is a hugely popular free online battle-royale game where up to 100 players fight to be last standing, with voice chat and social events.

Official age

12+

We recommend

12+

Developer

Epic Games

Risks

Features to know about

Private messages Contact from strangers Random matching Voice chat AI chatbot or AI tools In-app spending Parent controls

Direct messaging

In-app purchases

Overview

Fortnite is a hugely popular online battle royale game where up to 100 players compete to be the last one standing. It features colourful, cartoon-style graphics and regular content updates that keep players engaged. The game is free to play but has an extensive in-game store selling cosmetic items for V-Bucks, its virtual currency. Epic’s account age and PEGI’s rating are different things: Epic puts a player who says they are under 13 (in the UK, 13 is the age of digital consent under UK GDPR Article 8(1)) into a restricted Cabined Account until a parent gives consent, while PEGI rates Fortnite Battle Royale 12 and Fortnite as a whole “Parental Guidance Recommended”.

How children use it

Children play solo, with friends, or in squads with strangers in fast-paced battle royale matches. Voice chat is used extensively to coordinate with teammates. Many children are drawn to collecting skins and cosmetic items, which drives in-game spending. The game's social aspect is a major part of its appeal. Players can send direct messages and group text chats to their friends in Fortnite (on under-13 Cabined Accounts, free text chat stays off until a parent consents).

Main risks

in app purchases online strangers gaming safety screen time

Recommended privacy settings

Voice Chat

Location: Epic Games Parental Controls → Voice Chat

Set to: Friends Only (or Off for younger children)

Prevents your child from hearing or speaking with strangers during matches. Friends Only limits voice chat to their Epic and platform friends; the 'Friends, team members & connections' option also lets in everyone on their team, who may be strangers. Turning voice off in Fortnite may not stop console voice chat, so check platform settings too.

Text Chat

Location: Epic Games Parental Controls → Text Chat

Set to: Friends Only

Limits in-game text communication to approved friends, preventing strangers from messaging your child during play.

Purchase Controls

Location: Epic Games Parental Controls → Require a PIN for Epic Games Payments

Set to: PIN required for Epic Games payments

Requires your 6-digit Parental Controls PIN before real-money purchases can be made through Epic's payment system. It does not cover V-Bucks your child already holds, or payments on gaming platforms such as PlayStation, Steam, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, so use those platforms' spending controls (and your phone's app-store settings) as well.

Fortnite Content Ratings

Location: Epic Games Parental Controls → Age-Rating Restrictions → Fortnite Content Ratings

Set to: A limit that suits your child's age

Every experience in Fortnite has its own rating. Set the highest rating your child may play and your PIN is needed to unlock anything rated above it; Epic says its content-rating limits follow your region's rating system; in the UK, Battle Royale is PEGI 12, so a lower limit needs your PIN to unlock it.

AI features

Location: Epic Games Parental Controls → AI Permissions → Allow Voice and Written Communication with AI Features

Set to: Off unless you are comfortable with it

Controls whether your child can talk or write to AI features in Epic's products, including conversational AI non-player characters in Fortnite.

Time limits and time reports

Location: Epic Games Parental Controls → Time Limit Controls & Time Reports

Set to: Enabled

Lets you set a daily time limit or time windows and see a daily breakdown of time in Fortnite; if time reports are on you can also get a weekly email summary.

Parent actions

essential

Set up Epic Games parental controls with a PIN, restricting voice chat and requiring your PIN for Epic Games payments

Time: 10 minutes

essential

Remove saved payment methods from both the Epic Games account and the console's store

Time: 5 minutes

recommended

Agree clear boundaries about play time, especially on school nights, and use playtime reports to monitor usage

Time: 10 minutes

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If you need to report this

In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.

Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.

See all UK reporting pathways

Myths & facts

Myth: Fortnite is cartoonish, so it’s fine for young children.

Fact: The bigger issues than the stylised combat are open voice chat with strangers and relentless pressure to spend on V-Bucks and battle passes. Restrict voice chat to friends and lock down spending.

Myth: The spending is optional and small.

Fact: Fortnite’s store is designed to encourage frequent purchases and costs add up. Use the payment PIN, your console or app store's spending controls, and remove saved payment methods.

Myth: A Fortnite account is just a game login — there's nothing worth stealing.

Fact: Accounts holding rare skins and V-Bucks are genuine targets: children are phished with 'free V-Bucks' sites, fake giveaways and account 'trades' that end in losing everything they've built up. Two-factor authentication on the Epic account, plus the blunt rule that free V-Bucks offers are always scams, prevents most of it.

Age by age

8-10
Fortnite Battle Royale is rated PEGI 12, so it isn't recommended at this age, and Epic limits chat options for under-10s to Friends Only. If it's already part of their world through older siblings or cousins, keep any play in shared spaces with voice chat off, and be honest that their own account waits until they're older.
11-13
Around the PEGI age, set the Epic account up together: voice and text chat limited to friends, a PIN on purchases, and Epic's parental controls linked to your email. The spending conversation matters as much as the safety one — agree what, if anything, gets bought each season.
14-16
Voice chat culture is the thing to watch — squads with strangers can mean abuse or grooming-style flattery, so encourage friends-only channels and make muting, blocking and reporting feel like normal moves. Keep purchase approvals on and watch battle-pass pressure on school nights.
17-plus
Spending is their own decision now, so the conversation shifts to habits: chasing every season, buying under hype from streamers, and late nights that squeeze sleep. Account security — and never buying or selling accounts, which breaks Epic's rules and usually ends in a scam — rounds it off.