Fortnite is free to download, but the V-Bucks shop, voice chat and games with strangers are only a click away. That is why Epic Games offers Parental Controls, which you set up in your child’s Epic account. They cover spending, chat, island age ratings and playtime. This guide explains how the under-13 account works, what each control does and, just as importantly, what it does not cover. Everything reflects the state on 20 October 2026.
Accounts for under-13s: the Cabined Account
If a child enters an age under 13, or under the age of digital consent in their country (whichever is higher), Epic turns the account into a Cabined Account, an account with restrictions. The game then asks for a parent’s email address to request consent.
Until you give consent, the child can play Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys and use content they already own, but some features are locked. Consent and setup work like this:
- You receive an email with the subject “[Action Requested] Your Child’s Epic Games Account”. Click Continue.
- Accept the Terms of Service.
- Set up Parental Controls: chat, content age ratings and connections with other players.
- Verify that you are an adult. Depending on your country, this works with a face scan, a payment card or an ID scan.
If your child entered the wrong parent email, you can change it in the child’s account settings and the email is sent again. The full process is in Epic’s help article.
Where to set Parental Controls
Sign in to your child’s account on the Epic Account Portal, or open the settings directly in Fortnite. The controls apply to Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys. You can also turn on daily email reports about changes. Epic lists every option on its Parental Controls page.
| Setting | What it does | What it does not cover or where the limits are |
|---|---|---|
| PIN for Epic payments | without the parent’s PIN, the child cannot pay real money through Epic’s payment system | payments on PlayStation, Steam, Xbox and Nintendo, and V-Bucks purchases |
| Daily spending cap (under 13) | 100 USD a day through Epic payments, the parent’s PIN is needed above that | payments on console platforms and V-Bucks |
| Allow Paid Random Items | allows or blocks spending V-Bucks on random reward items | only where such items exist |
| Voice and text chat | decides who the child talks and types to | fixed upper limits for under-10s and under-13s |
| Age ratings | islands above the chosen rating need the PIN | every experience has its own rating |
| Time limits | a daily limit or time windows for play | apply to Fortnite and UEFN |
Money: the PIN, the daily cap and what they miss
Read this part carefully. The purchase PIN means your child cannot pay real money through Epic’s payment system without your PIN. It does not affect payments on PlayStation, Steam, Xbox or Nintendo, and it does not affect purchases made with V-Bucks.
The daily spending cap of 100 USD applies to children under 13 for Epic payments in Fortnite, Rocket League, Fall Guys and the Epic Games Store. Going over it requires the parent’s PIN. The cap does not apply to payments on console platforms or to V-Bucks. If your child plays on a console, set spending limits in the console’s own parental controls too (more at the end).
With Allow Paid Random Items you allow or block spending V-Bucks on items with a random reward, where such items are available.
Keep in mind that V-Bucks are non-refundable and cannot be moved to another account. What they buy and how packs work is explained in our V-Bucks guide. Warn your child about sites promising free V-Bucks; we cover them in our Fortnite codes guide.
Chat and friends
Voice and text chat each have four levels: Everybody, Friends, team members & connections, Friends Only and Nobody. Epic enforces fixed limits:
- a child under 10 can have “Friends Only” at most,
- a child under 13 can have “Friends, team members & connections” at most,
- voice and text reporting is always on for players under 18.
Fortnite’s text chat has a profanity filter, which is always on for children under 13. You can also require a PIN for adding friends. Playing with friends on other platforms is covered in our crossplay guide.
Island age ratings
Every experience in Fortnite has its own age rating. Islands rated above your chosen setting need your PIN. Epic gives this example: if you set the rating to “Everyone” or “Everyone 10+” in the Epic Games Store, Fortnite still downloads, but your child only sees islands within that limit, not islands rated “Teen” such as Battle Royale.
For reference, fortnite.com rates both Blitz Royale and Reload PEGI 12. For Blitz Royale it lists Moderate Violence, Users Interact and In-Game Purchases. Our overview of Fortnite game modes shows what else is in the game.
You can also allow or block Creative and UEFN, the tools for building your own islands.
Time limits and weekly reports
For Fortnite and UEFN you can set a daily limit or time windows when play is allowed. The limit follows the account, so it applies across consoles and devices. Your child gets a warning 30 minutes before time runs out.
- Play Time and Create Time have separate limits.
- Your child can ask for extra time. You get an email and add time with your PIN.
- Weekly Time Reports show up to 4 weeks of history and also arrive as an email summary.
AI features
Parents can block voice and text communication with AI features, such as conversational AI characters in Fortnite.
Do not forget the console and the phone
PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and phones have their own platform-level parental controls, and Epic recommends checking those too. This matters most for money, because Epic’s daily cap does not reach console payments. Whether the game itself is free and what you pay for is covered in is Fortnite free.
Join our Discord to ask other parents and players about their experience: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Set a purchase PIN in your child’s Epic account. For under-13s, a daily cap of 100 USD also applies to Epic payments. Neither the PIN nor the cap covers console payments or V-Bucks purchases, so set up the console’s parental controls as well.
A restricted account for a child under 13 or under the age of digital consent in their country. Until a parent consents, the child can play, but some features are locked.
That depends on the chat settings. Under 10 the highest level is Friends Only, under 13 it is friends, team members and connections. With Nobody, your child cannot chat with anyone; according to Epic, only standard preset in-game phrases remain where supported.
Yes, with a daily limit or time windows for Fortnite and UEFN. It applies on every device using that account, and your child gets a warning 30 minutes before the end.
Each island has its own rating. According to fortnite.com, Blitz Royale and Reload are PEGI 12. Islands above the chosen rating only start with the parent’s PIN.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are in our Fortnite guides section.