Quebec Superior Court Justice Sylvain Lussier issued the ruling Wednesday, after hearing arguments in the class-action request from three Quebec parents who accused Epic Games of developing a “highly addictive, and therefore lucrative” game that they allege caused their children to develop addiction symptoms. (The Canadian Press, The Logic)

Talking point: The application, first filed in 2019, alleges that Epic hired psychologists, statisticians and analysts to develop “the most addictive game possible” and that the team used “guinea pig” gamers to track attention spans. Justice Lussier authorized the lawsuit for any Quebec residents since Sept. 1, 2017, who have become addicted to playing Fortnite Battle Royale with any potential compensation to be determined by the court. Anyone under 18 who made a purchase could also be eligible for restitution in a second class-action category allowed by the court. Epic had argued before the court that the allegations of cyberaddiction are “vague and imprecise” and that video game dependence is not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder. The U.S.-based video game developer opened a major studio in Montreal in 2018.