Quick answer: Fortnite is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. Kids who say they’re under 13 get a restricted Cabined Account with chat and real-money purchases locked until a parent consents. To set Fortnite parental controls, sign in to your child’s account on Epic’s Account Portal and create a 6-digit PIN. You can then limit voice and text chat, require the PIN for purchases, block islands above a chosen rating and set daily time limits. The loophole: turning off voice chat in Fortnite doesn’t turn off your console’s party chat, so set that too.
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Part of our Kids’ Online Safety guides: phones, watches, games and apps.
Table of Contents
Key Findings
- T for Teen: the ESRB rating for Fortnite. Islands inside it range from E for Everyone to a maximum of T.
- Under 13 = Cabined Account: chat, real-money purchases and custom display names are locked until a parent consents.
- One PIN controls everything: chat, friend requests, purchases, ratings and time limits.
- Console chat is separate. Epic says your child “may still be able to access voice chat” through the console even if Fortnite chat is off.
- $520 million: what Epic agreed to pay in 2022 over FTC allegations about kids’ privacy and unwanted charges.
Fortnite Age Rating: How Old Do You Have to Be?
According to the ESRB’s parents’ guide, Fortnite is rated T for Teen, with a descriptor saying it offers access to a wide variety of content. Every island in Fortnite has its own ESRB rating, from E for Everyone up to T for Teen, and Epic doesn’t allow anything higher.
There’s no hard minimum age to play. But per Epic’s Cabined Accounts FAQ, players under 13, or under their country’s age of digital consent if that’s higher, get a restricted account until a parent steps in.
How to Set Up Fortnite Parental Controls
- Sign in to your child’s Epic account on Epic’s Account Portal on a computer or phone browser.
- Open Parental Controls and create a 6-digit PIN. Keep it private.
- Set chat: choose who can use voice chat and text chat with your child, or set both to Nobody.
- Set purchases: require the PIN for Epic payments and decide whether V-Bucks can be spent on random-reward items.
- Set content: pick the highest island rating your child can play.
- Set time limits and turn on weekly Time Reports emails.
Epic says settings can also be changed inside Fortnite, and you can sign up for email reports whenever settings change.
Every Epic Parental Control, Explained
From Epic’s parental controls page:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Voice and text chat permission | Choose who your child can talk to with Epic voice chat and text chat |
| Filter mature language | Filters profanity in Fortnite text chat |
| PIN to add friends | Your PIN is needed to send or accept friend requests |
| PIN for Epic payments | Your PIN is needed for real-money purchases through Epic’s payment system |
| Paid random items | Choose whether V-Bucks can be spent on random rewards |
| Content ratings | Block islands rated above your chosen level; the PIN unlocks them |
| Creative and UEFN access | Restrict the tools for building and publishing islands |
| Time limits | Total daily limits, or separate Play Time and Create Time limits; optional requests for more time |
| Time Reports | Weekly view and email of time spent in Fortnite |
| AI features | Choose whether your child can talk with AI characters in Fortnite |
Spending tip: the PIN covers purchases through Epic’s own payment system, not console or phone stores. Some families use a fixed-value Fortnite eGift Card as a set budget instead; Epic says Cabined Account players can add a gift card to their balance. Reviews are mixed (3.5 stars from about 1,000 ratings). Check the current price
Cabined Accounts for Kids Under 13
A Cabined Account is Epic’s restricted account for younger players. According to Epic’s FAQ, until a parent consents it blocks:
- Voice and text chat with other players
- Real-money purchases
- Custom display names
- Recommendations based on past activity, marketing emails and push notifications
- Signing in to other games and apps with the Epic account
Your child can still play Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys with content they already have. The restrictions lift when a parent gives consent or the child reaches 13, or the local age of digital consent.
The Voice Chat Loophole: Console Settings
This catches many parents out. Epic warns: “If you turn off voice chat in one of Epic’s games, your child may still be able to access voice chat using the chat system built into your console.” Turn off party chat in PlayStation, Xbox or Switch settings too. See PS5, Xbox and Switch parental controls, and for phones, iPhone Screen Time.
The Fortnite Lawsuit: What the FTC Found
In December 2022, the FTC announced that Epic Games would pay more than half a billion dollars over two sets of allegations:
| Part | What happened |
|---|---|
| $275 million penalty | For violating COPPA, the children’s privacy law, by collecting data from kids under 13 without parental consent. The FTC called it the largest penalty ever for breaking an FTC rule. |
| New defaults | Voice and text chat must be off by default for kids and teens; under-13s need a parent’s consent to turn them on. |
| $245 million refunds | For “dark patterns” that the FTC said tricked players into unwanted purchases. |
Refunds now: the FTC sent $126 million to about 969,000 players in June 2025, after an earlier $72 million round. Per the FTC’s refund page, claims closed on July 9, 2025, and more payments are expected in 2026 for valid claims already filed.
Is Fortnite OK for an 8-Year-Old? An Age-by-Age Guide
| Age | Our suggestion |
|---|---|
| Under 8 | Probably wait. If they play, sit nearby, keep chat off and set the rating to E. |
| 8 to 12 | Cabined Account by default. Keep chat off or friends-only, require the PIN for purchases and friends, and set a daily limit. |
| 13 to 15 | Teen-rated islands are allowed. Keep voice chat friends-only, check console chat, and review Time Reports weekly. |
| 16+ | Talk about scams (free V-Bucks offers) and spending, and loosen settings gradually. |
Your child plays Roblox too? See Roblox parental controls. Comparing monitoring apps? See the best parental control apps.
How We Did This
- We read Epic Games’ Safety and Security Center and Cabined Accounts FAQ, the ESRB’s parents’ guide to Fortnite, and the FTC’s announcements and refund page, on October 18, 2026.
- We did not test these settings on a child’s account. Epic changes its tools over time, so check the Account Portal for the latest options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fortnite rated?
The ESRB rates Fortnite T for Teen. Every island inside Fortnite also has its own rating, from E for Everyone up to a maximum of T for Teen, and parents can block islands above a chosen rating.
How old do you have to be to play Fortnite?
There’s no hard minimum, but players who say they’re under 13, or under their country’s age of digital consent, get a Cabined Account. They can play, but voice and text chat and real-money purchases stay locked until a parent gives consent.
How do I turn off voice chat in Fortnite?
Sign in to your child’s account on Epic’s Account Portal, open Parental Controls and set Epic voice chat to Nobody. Then turn off chat in your console’s own settings too, because console party chat is separate from Fortnite.
Can my child buy V-Bucks without my permission?
You can require your Parental Controls PIN for real-money purchases made through Epic’s payment system. Purchases through PlayStation, Xbox, Switch or a phone store are controlled by that platform’s own settings, so set limits there as well.
Is Fortnite safe for kids?
It can be with the right settings. Epic offers chat, purchase, rating and time controls, and kids under 13 start in a restricted Cabined Account. The biggest risks are chatting with strangers and spending, so set both before your child plays.
Can I still get a Fortnite refund from the FTC?
No new claims. The FTC stopped accepting claims after July 9, 2025, and says it expects to send more payments in 2026 to people who already filed valid claims.
Sources
- Epic Games: Parental Controls
- Epic Games: Cabined Accounts FAQ
- ESRB: A Parents’ Guide to Fortnite
- FTC (December 2022): Epic Games to pay more than half a billion dollars
- FTC (June 2025): $126 million in Fortnite refunds
- FTC: Fortnite refunds
