Epic Games confirmed that it will refund money to players who purchased cosmetics from singer D4vd on Fortnite. The decision comes after the artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was accused of the murder of a 14-year-old girl. Burke was charged with first-degree murder, lewd acts with a minor and mutilation of a corpse, but pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The company was facing increasing pressure from the gaming community who called for the removal of items linked to the artist. Muitos stated that they no longer wanted this content on their accounts, regardless of how they acquired it. The victim, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was killed around April 23, 2025 after threatening to report the relationship between the two.
Reembolso available from Tuesday
Fortnite’s official X account announced that automatic refunds will begin on April 28. Qualquer player who has purchased the items will be able to receive their money back directly through self-service, without the need to contact support. The measure represents the first in a series of changes that the company plans to implement.
Epic also confirmed that those who had already requested refunds for player support are now being rewarded. The official statement mentions “a number of changes that we will implement over time”, suggesting that other actions are still in development.
Dilema of free prizes
An additional aspect complicates the situation: some players received D4vd emotes as a reward for performance in official tournaments, without paying. Esses users are now asking Epic to remove items directly from their accounts as they cannot request financial refunds.
The company has not yet confirmed whether it will permanently exclude D4vd cosmetics from the game. However, the tone of the official communication leaves this possibility open for the near future.
Cronograma of changes
- Terça Thursday, April 28: Automatic refund available
- Imediato: refunds via player support are now being processed
- Futuro: other content-related changes will be announced
Reação from the community
Player pressure on Epic Games has intensified in recent weeks. Muitos users posted on social media that they wanted to completely remove items from their accounts as a way of not associating their profiles with the artist. The company responded to the requests quickly, implementing the changes in less than a week after the criminal allegations came to prominence.
Alguns in the community still debate whether the company should have removed the content automatically, without waiting for individual requests. Outros argue that the current approach respects each player’s choice. There is no doubt that sales of the items are expected to cease completely soon.