Creators of video game Fortnite hit back at Prince Harry

Creators of video game Fortnite hit back at Prince Harry after he branded it addictive and ‘irresponsible’

• Developers Epic Games attended a parliamentary committee about their game
• Prince Harry criticised Fortnite claiming the video game was ‘created to addict’
• The company behind the smash hit game said this was a ‘mischaracterisation’  
• Lawyer Canon Pence said the company was ‘surprised’ by the Prince’s view 

The embattled creators of Fortnite yesterday hit out at Prince Harry after he claimed the video game was ‘created to addict’.

The game has been caught in controversy following a raft of safety concerns about its addictiveness and use by online predators as a platform to target children.

But bosses from developer Epic Games told the digital, culture, media and sports committee that the prince’s views were a ‘mischaracterisation’ of the game.

Prince Harry, pictured, claimed in April ‘Fortnite shouldn’t be allowed. It’s created to addict’

Epic Games made £1.8bn last year from the game. Their lawyer Canon Pence said: ‘We were quite taken aback at Epic, really rather surprised. The statements.. couldn’t be further from the truth in our intentions and design philosophy’

The games developers today gave evidence at a high powered parliamentary committee 

At a meeting on youth mental health in April, the Duke of Sussex had said: ‘Fortnite shouldn’t be allowed.

‘It’s created to addict – an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.’

Epic Games made around £1.8billion last year from the game, which is free to play.

But when asked to respond to the claims, the developer’s lawyer Canon Pence said: ‘We were quite taken aback at Epic, really rather surprised. The statements… couldn’t be further from the truth in our intentions and design philosophy.’

The committee is investigating immersive and addictive technologies such as battle games.

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