Paid skins on free games like Fortnite become a social marker that can lead to exclusion, even harassment. Norwegian researchers identified 13 different forms of manipulation in these games.
In September 2023, the U.S. government asked Epic Games to reimburse its players to the tune of $245 million, pointing out the manipulative design of its store. For example, the button to try on an outfit in your collection was the same as to buy one, once in the store. With muscle memory, it was very common to buy, without doing it on purpose.